Shake Me, Wake Me
by ScottyBaby
Summary: AU. When a bond of brotherhood is recognized, one will go to great lengths to protect it. In which Jack meets some familiar strangers, Bobby seeks a different kind of revenge, Angel battles the green monster of jealousy, and Jeremiah keeps everyone happy.
1. In Which Our Characters Meet

AN: My first venture into the Four Brothers fandom. This story is very AU: Bobby and Angel are brothers and are the only two that were adopted by Evelyn. Jerry is Bobby's best friend, and Jack is just a teenager on the streets. For this story, their ages are as follows: Bobby is 25, Jerry is 23, Angel is 19, and Jack is 16. I have four chapters written already, which will be posted in intervals based on how quickly I get to writing the other chapters (which may not be too quickly, depending on how much my professors wanna torture me until winter break).

Disclaimer: I don't own Four Brothers or anything associated with that universe (if I owned Mark Wahlberg, I would sit him in front of me and make him recite his lines from "The Departed" for all eternity).

* * *

"What can I getcha?" 

Jack looked up from where he was idly tracing lines with his finger along the surface of the bar, his mind still in a post-show fog and his ears ringing with the songs of his last set. Playing seedy, run down bars certainly wasn't anywhere near his dream of rock star status, but he couldn't deny the rush he got playing in front of a live crowd. His adrenaline was still flowing, making his heart pump rapidly in his chest and his legs bounce with unused energy.

"Beer," he said, with all the feigned assurance of a man twice his age and self-confidence. The bartender looked at him skeptically, smirking, before pulling a beer out of the cooler, popping the cap and sliding it over to him. Jack nodded his thanks, taking a long swig and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. When he set the bottle down, he noticed the bartender was still staring at him. "What?"

"You're not 21," the bartender observed, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the side of the bar. His brown hair was slicked back, and Jack instantly wrote him off as a guy who thought he was a hard ass, a hot shot. However, his battered Redwings jersey, complete with faded bloodstains, along with the obvious beginnings of a black eye, made Jack think that maybe there was legitimacy behind the perceived arrogance.

"No shit," Jack mumbled, taking another swig. He looked at the bartender over his bottle, trying to read him. No luck; he was still smirking, as if to say _maybe I'm fucking with you, maybe I'm not. Do you wanna press your luck?_ Jack decided he did. "Got a problem with that?"

The bartender shrugged, reaching for a towel and slinging it over his shoulder. "Who me? Nah, I got no problem with that at all." He grabbed a glass from behind him and began wiping it down. Jack was almost relieved for the distraction; something about the other man's gaze was beginning to unnerve him.

"However," the bartender continued, holding the glass up to the light, as if to inspect it, "my friends down at the police department...well, they might have something to say about it. And then it's _your_ problem."

"Hmm, serving alcohol to a minor," Jack said, barely above a murmur, mirroring the bartender's actions and inspecting his own beer bottle. He looked up, raising his eyebrows. "Problem?"

The bartender snorted. "Good one, kiddo," he said, nodding his approval as he set the glass down, taking another beer from the cooler. He popped the top and poured the contents into the glass. "You think I have fuckin' friends in the police department? I practically live there. We're like one big happy goddamn family."

"Glad to hear it," Jack said absently, resting his elbow on the bar and propping his head up with his hand. He was feeling the beginnings of a post-adrenaline headache. He closed his eyes briefly, hearing nothing but the buzz of the crowd, the occasional drunken yell, and the sound of his own breathing. When he reopened his eyes, the bartender was still there, leaning back and holding the glass in one hand. "_What?_"

"You've gotta be fuckin'...sixteen at the oldest," he chuckled, taking a drink of his beer. "That your band makin' all that fuckin' racket just a minute ago?"

"Yup, that's my band," Jack said, suddenly feeling slightly defensive and a bit intimidated that the bartender had guessed his age correctly. _Here's one advantage of looking older than you really are._ "And I'm nineteen," he lied.

The bartender raised his eyebrows, whistling. "Big man," he said, smirking again and offering a hand. "Bobby Mercer."

"Jack," was all the younger man offered in return, taking Bobby's hand for a quick shake. However, when Bobby's hand touched his, he felt a spark pass between their fingers, almost like an electrical shock. He pulled his hand back quickly, shaking it for emphasis. "Fuck, that hurt."

"It's only fuckin' static, ya pussy," Bobby said. Normally, if someone Jack had just met called him a pussy out of the blue, he wouldn't have hesitated to land a punch right on the side of the other guy's face. Something felt different with Bobby, though...like this banter was normal, like they'd done this before. Even though they'd just met...

"So...just Jack, huh?" Bobby asked, breaking the awkward silence as Jack stared down at his hand. "No last name?"

"Maybe," Jack said, not looking up. "Maybe not."

"No nickname?" Bobby persisted. "What about Jackie? Can I call you Jackie?"

"No," Jack said, shaking his head and reaching for his beer again. "Just Jack."

"Alright, Jackie," Bobby said, finishing off his beer and setting the glass down on the counter. "I gotta go take care of some V.I.P.'s down at the other end. You lemme know when you're ready for round two."

Jack nodded, finishing his own beer and looking down to the end of the bar, where a couple of large black men sat, looking slightly out of place in their nice clothes and large coats. Something about the guy sitting in the middle – the one with the big, furry white coat – made Jack's stomach twist a little. He shook his head, looking quickly to the man directly to the right of the coat guy...but something about him – his long, thin goatee that pointed straight down – made Jack nervous as well. He suddenly felt shaky and cold, very cold, although his shoulder was beginning to burn...

"Fuck!" Jack jumped about a mile off of his stool as a hand came down on his shoulder. He whirled around, coming face to face with his band's bassist, Chad, and a tall, skinny blonde with too much eye make-up on her face and too much alcohol in her system clinging to his arm. He rubbed his shoulder, feeling a dull ache there. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry, dude," Chad apologized half-heartedly, looking at Jack curiously. "You okay? You're a little pale, man."

"Fine," Jack said. He looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow. "Going home?"

"Yeah. You coming?"

"I told you, man," Jack said, running a hand through his hair, exasperated. "I'm not gonna crash at your place every night. Especially not when you have...company."

Chad shrugged, looking unfazed. "Whatever. If you end up sleeping on a park bench, just make sure you don't get pissed on by some old, homeless perv."

Jack rolled his eyes, turning back around to face the bar again. Bobby was still at the other end, having what appeared to be a rather heated discussion with the guys there. "Thanks for your concern, Chad."

"No problem..."

Chad might have said something else, but Jack's attention was now fixed on Bobby, whose conversation he could hear in fragments above the din of the crowd. He was leaning in close to the man with the furry coat, one hand gripping the bar tightly while the other gestured pointedly in front of him.

"...problem with Jer...my concern...leave him the fuck alo...understand?"

Jack glanced at the coat man again, and once again felt a shiver go down his spine, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up and goosebumps cover his arms. He suddenly felt uncomfortable, not solely for himself, but for the fact that Bobby was down there with them. He didn't want Bobby down there. He wanted Bobby back here, away from Victor Sweet, talking to him, protecting him...

_What?_ Where the fuck had that come from? He'd just met Bobby minutes ago. What the hell made him think that Bobby was going to protect him? What made him think he wanted Bobby's protection, anyway? And...who was Victor Sweet?

"Yo, Jackie-o." Bobby was back, then, placing another beer in front of him. "Round two comin' atcha."

"Thanks," Jack mumbled, popping off the top and taking a very long drink. He needed a buzz, and fast...he was thinking way too much. "Take care of your boys down there?"

Bobby practically snarled. "Those aren't my boys. And as for takin' care of them...let's just say that's for another time and place."

Jack snorted. "You don't seem like the type to back down from a fight."

"Who said _they_ wanted to start the fight?" Bobby asked, turning around to straighten up the counter a little. "Anyway, I'd like to keep my job. I'm not gonna start shit right now."

"Says the Michigan Mauler," Jack mumbled, taking another drink, then practically choking as he realized what had just come out of his mouth. _What the hell...the Michigan Mauler? What the fuck is that?_

When Jack looked up, Bobby had turned back around, staring at him like he had suddenly sprouted another head. He felt his cheeks begin to burn, and he shrugged, fiddling with the label on his bottle. "You play hockey, right?" _What? How did I know...?_

"Yeah..." Bobby said skeptically, leaning forward against the bar as if to say _go on, I'm waiting._

"Yeah, well, you've got quite the reputation," Jack said, shrugging again. "My friend plays hockey, too."

Bobby stayed silent for a minute, staring at Jack with an unreadable look in his eyes, his head cocked slightly to the side. Jack stared back, trying to find something recognizable in Bobby's gaze. _Do I know him? Have I met him? How do I know all of this shit?_

Nothing.

"Okay," Bobby relented finally, pushing himself backwards and pushing the heel of his hand into his eye. "Whatever. It's been a long fuckin' night."

Jack opened his mouth to agree, but suddenly Bobby was looking above his head, smiling and waving at someone behind him. "Hey, Jerry!"

Turning around, Jack caught sight of a taller, skinny man coming through the door, dressed noticeably better than Bobby but not nearly as nice as the men at the end of the bar...who Jack suddenly noticed were no longer there anyway.

"Hey, man," Jerry said, sitting down in the empty seat next to Jack and folding his arms on top of the bar. "How's it goin'?"

"Eh, the usual," Bobby said, his eyes flickering towards the other end of the bar for a moment before coming to rest on Jerry again. "Same fuckin' shitheads in here every night, you know?"

"Yeah," Jerry said, whose eyes had also strayed in the direction of Bobby's for a brief moment, before the two shared a knowing look that Jack wished he understood. "I know."

"Speaking of shitheads," Bobby said, breaking the tense atmosphere, "the little punk to your left if Jack. Jack, meet Jeremiah Brown."

"Pleasure," Jerry said, extending his hand. Jack hesitated for a moment, remembering the shock he got from shaking hands with Bobby earlier. He took Jerry's hand, though, and was relieved when he felt nothing of the sort. "How do you know Bobby?"

"Um..."

"Just met," Bobby cut Jack off, sounding slightly uncomfortable all of the sudden, like that fact would sway Jerry's liking of him. "He's got himself a little band he played with earlier."

"Oh yeah?" Jerry asked, turning to Jack. "Any good?"

"I don't know," Jack said, shrugging and looking towards Bobby. "Any good?"

"Hmm..." Bobby pretended to be deep in thought, leaning his elbows against the bar. "Well, I don't usually listen to fairy music, so I couldn't te..."

"Wait, _fairy_ music?" Jack asked, slightly taken aback. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Bobby grinned, obviously taking pleasure in the fact that he'd struck a nerve with Jack. "You know, fairy music. The whole 'I'm really sad and depressed so I'm gonna scream and bitch about it' kind of thing."

"I don't scream," Jack mumbled, taking a drink from his almost forgotten beer. His heart sank a little. He wanted Bobby to approve...

_But why?_

"Maybe not," Bobby continued, still grinning, "but you still bitch."

"I do not." _Great, Jack. Why don't you stomp your foot and pout a little next time?_

"Sure, you do."

"No, I..."

"As much as I'm enjoying this conversation," Jerry cut in, holding back laughter as he watched Bobby and Jack go back and forth, "I can't actually stay, I left the car running. I gotta get the girls home from their recital. I was just stopping by on the way to see how...things were going."

"_Things_ are going fine, Jerry." Bobby's joking demeanor was suddenly gone in an instant, and his eyes were blazing. "_Things_ are under control. I told you not to worry about it."

"And I told _you_ not to get involved." Jerry's voice was suddenly lower, more urgent. "I told you, Bobby, that's my shit..."

"Let's not do this now, okay?" Bobby said, backing away from Jerry, shooting a glance towards the end of the bar again. Jack followed his gaze. No coat guy. No goatee guy. He turned back around to find Jerry glaring daggers at Bobby.

"He wasn't here?" Jerry asked, his voice raising a notch. When Bobby didn't answer he sighed heavily. "Bobby, please tell me he wasn't..."

"Go, Jerry, take your girls home," Bobby waved him off, but Jerry stayed put. "I mean it, Jerry, _go_."

Jerry stood up, obviously angry and a little flustered. "I'm not gonna tell you again, Bobby. Stay _out_ of this. It's not your battle to fight. I'm not gonna have you putting yourself and..."

"Not now, Jerry, okay?" Bobby sounded tired, defeated. Jack slumped in his seat a little. He hated not knowing what was going on. "Not now. Go. Just go. Tell the girls I say hi."

Two names suddenly popped into Jack's head. _Amelia. Daniela._

_What?_

"Fine," Jerry started to back away towards the door. "This ain't over. I wanna talk about this."

"Goodbye, Jerry."

Jack watched Jerry turn around and storm towards the door. "Tell Angel to get his ass back home in one piece next time he calls," he said, not looking back. "And tell Evelyn..."

"_Goodbye, _Jerry."

Jack turned back around, staring blankly at his beer bottle. His mind was beginning to feel heavy, like there was too much information being processed too late at night. He recognized those names... _Angel. Evelyn. Amelia. Daniela._

_Why?_

"Stubborn ass," Bobby's voice broke through his thoughts, but he was beginning to see spots, his eyes growing darker by the second. He reached his hand out to steady himself, knocking over his bottle in the process. He was suddenly very hot...names started popping into his head, some he knew, some he didn't...

_Angel...Evelyn...Amelia...Daniela...Camille...Sofi...Victor Sweet...Bobby..._

"Jack? Yo, Jackie?"

_...Angel Evelyn Amelia Daniela Camille Sofi Victor Sweet Bobby..._

"Hey, Jack? You okay?"

_...AngelEvelynAmeliaDanielaCamilleSofiVictorSweetBobby..._

"Hey! Jack!"

_Wha...?_

Jack looked up, hearing the blood rushing in his ears, his heart pounding in his chest. He felt a drop of sweat trickle down from his hairline across his temple, but was suddenly too exhausted to lift a shaking hand and wipe it away. He felt like he was going to throw up. Bobby was staring at him, concern replacing the previous fire in his eyes.

"You okay, Cracker Jack?"

_Cracker Jack?_ _What...?_

And suddenly, Jack was losing his balance as the world titled around him. He felt himself falling sideways, but was too hot and too tired to catch himself. He was aware of only one thought before he hit the ground...

_Bobby..._

Then nothing.


	2. In Which Some Minor Freak Outs Occur

AN: I have chapter five written (probably the longest and most pointless chapter ever!), which means that I get to post chapter two! I'm not sure if it's still allowed to answer reviews here, some rules have changed since the last time I wrote a chapter fic...however, I'll answer reviews until I'm told not to, because I've always believed in acknowledging those who took the time to leave a comment. If this is a problem, let me know. Reviews will be answered at the bottom of every chapter. Thanks!

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The first thought Jack had as he regained consciousness was one of extreme discomfort. His back ached, his head throbbed, and his shoulder was starting to feel like someone had stuck him with a hot metal rod. He refrained from opening his eyes just yet, still feeling like he was underwater, the sounds around him muffled and his thoughts slow. 

"...ack? Jack? Wake up, man."

He knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he recognized the voice, and was reassured by that fact. He tried to shift into a more comfortable position, struggling to open his eyes. He moaned softly, feeling another bolt of pain shoot through his shoulder. He gasped, grasping mentally for familiarity.

"Jack? Come on, Jackie, I'm not gonna sit here all night. Get up."

Jack shifted again, trying and failing to find a comfortable position, away from the pain in his shoulder, away from the fog in his brain, towards that voice he recognized, that he knew so well...

_Bobby..._

Something cool dripped onto his forehead, running down across his face and into his hair. He shivered, chills running up and down his spine. He was so cold...

Another drop, this time on his cheek, sliding down and trickling into his ear. Another shiver...

Another drop onto his chin, dripping into the hollow of his neck, down...down across his shoulder, then dropping..._dropping_ _off into the snow..._

_...the snow was so cold. He shivered as moisture seeped into the material of his jeans, his t-shirt, soaking his body in the freezing temperature as he cried out in agony. He was so cold, and it hurt, it hurt so much..._

"_Bobby!" he cried, feeling tears and snot and spit streaming down his face, his chin, falling into the snow and freezing. It hurt...oh fuck, it hurt so much..._

"_Jack!" came the reply, far away, muffled, distant, almost unreal. But familiar. Beautiful and familiar. He gripped the post with renewed effort, struggling to hold on._

"_Bobby!"_

"Fuck!"

Jack shot up with a start as he suddenly found himself drenched from the waist up in freezing water. He shook his head, flinging droplets from his hair, and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw none other than Bobby Mercer looming above him, holding a bucket with a shit-eating grin plastered across his face.

"Mornin', sunshine," Bobby said, setting the bucket down on the bar and tossing a towel at Jack's head. Jack's reflexes were considerably slower, and the towel hit him square in the face. Bobby snorted in response. "Nice catch, fairy."

"Fairy?" Jack asked, disgusted, taking the towel and wiping off his face. He rubbed his eyes again, suddenly looking around, confused. His ears were ringing. "Wait, why am I on the floor? And why the hell did you throw water on me?"

"Because, Jackie-poo, you passed out cold," Bobby began, holding out a hand to help Jack up off the ground. Jack ignored him, grabbing the stool to steady himself as he climbed to his feet. He swayed there for a moment, closing his eyes as he regained his balance, flushing deep red when he opened them again. There was still a decent sized crowd in the bar, and every eye was on him.

"It's not every day they get to see me dump a bucket of water on someone," Bobby grinned, grabbing his towel back out of Jack's hand as the younger man sat down on the stool. "Didn't seem to be any other way to wake you up. I'll remember this for the next time I see you in here...Jack's only allowed to have _one _beer."

"Ha ha," Jack replied mirthlessly. He ran a hand through his wet hair, his damp hands still shaky. He was very hot again, but remembered feeling very cold just moments ago. Something about snow...and pain...and Bobby. "I'm not drunk. I just...don't feel good."

"Aww, poor baby," Bobby said, walking back around behind the bar. Jack noticed that there were a couple more people seated around the bar than before, when it had been just him and the guys with the big coats. "Want me to hold your hand, sweetheart? Call your mommy?"

Jack suddenly felt an unexpected swell of anger wash over him, and he clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms. Before, Bobby's teasing had been welcome, almost familiar, almost...brotherly. But something about that comment had struck a nerve with Jack, as if to say, _hey, you're not his brother, you're just a pathetic homeless orphan with no family, no friends, no future..._

"I don't have a fuckin' mom to call, but thanks anyway." Jack's voice was sharp, laced with venom. He stood up abruptly, pushing the stool away in disgust. "I need some air. Here's your fuckin' money. Have a nice night, asshole." He threw a wad of bills on the counter (all the money he'd made playing that night) and whirled around, pushing his way through the crowd and trying to ignore the way Bobby's look of surprise made him feel like turning back around and apologizing.

He barged out the door in a huff, shoving his way angrily past a group of girls ("your biggest fans!" they squealed to him) and out into the cold. He slammed the door, making sure that if Bobby was still paying attention, he would know that Jack was good and angry. But once Jack was outside, away from the heavy air and the crowded room, he couldn't help but feel extremely foolish. His anger seemed to have come from nowhere, and in Bobby's defense, Jack had allowed the teasing all night with little complaint. He couldn't explain it, he'd just suddenly felt..._furious_...

_Way to be a drama queen, Jack,_ he thought to himself, leaning up against the side wall of the bar and pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket. He flipped out his lighter and lit one up, taking a long drag, allowing the nicotine to settle his nerves and calm his mind.

He leaned his head back against the brick wall, taking a deep breath of the cold night air. He shivered, the dampness of his t-shirt making it seem colder than it actually was. As his anger subsided, confusion set in, replacing the fury with an equally frustrating emotion. The night had become one big mental rollercoaster for Jack, beginning from the moment he sat down at the bar and met Bobby Mercer.

Something about Bobby had set off some kind of alarm in Jack's mind, although Jack couldn't place a finger on what kind of alarm it was. He didn't feel threatened by Bobby; quite the contrary, he felt like Bobby was some kind of protective force, like a shield that kept Jack relatively out of harm's way...

And speaking of harm's way, why did he have such a strange feeling about the guys at the end of the bar? He'd never seen any of them in his life, and definitely didn't have a single legitimate reason to be afraid of them. Nevertheless, the man in the big white coat made his stomach clench and gave him the chills. And the name that had suddenly popped into his head...Victor Sweet...

And speaking of _names_, why did the names of complete strangers keep invading his thoughts? Why did he suddenly pass out? Why? Why? _Why_?

"Hey."

A low voice next to him made him jump, and his eyes shot across to meet Bobby's, who was leaning up against the wall to his left. He ignored Bobby's greeting, taking another drag of his cigarette and wrapping his other arm around his stomach, beginning to shiver. _Better to still look mad,_ he thought. _Makes me look like less of a spaz._

"Mind if I join you?" Bobby continued, pulling out his own pack of cigarettes. Jack shrugged.

"Are you following me?"

"It's my fuckin' smoke break," Bobby said, lighting one up and taking a drag. "Lighten the fuck up, already."

Jack ignored him, bending his knee and propping his foot casually against the wall. He inhaled cold air again, trying to clear his head. He couldn't stay mad forever...although he was still so confused...

"Look," Bobby began awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck as he fiddled with the cigarette in his other hand, "I'm sorry I threw water on you. I didn't know it would piss you off so much. It's really not that big a deal. It's not like that crowd's never seen a drunk make an ass out of himself before."

Jack remained silent for a moment, smoking quietly before answering. "I'm not drunk," he said slowly. "And it wasn't about that."

"Okay, then, I'm sorry for makin' fun of you for passing out," Bobby tried again, shrugging as if he didn't know quite what to do. It was obvious that he wasn't used to apologies. "I'm sorry for calling you names. I'm sorry for...for bringin' up your mom. Is that what you wanna hear? Is that what you want me to say?"

"What I wanna know," Jack was still speaking slowly, deliberately, and he took one last drag of his cigarette, crushing it under his shoe, "is why you're out here apologizing to me."

Bobby raised an eyebrow, confused. "What?"

"I mean, I'm just some random fuckin' kid you met in a bar an hour ago." Jack was speaking a little faster now, as if he had to say everything at once or he'd lose the thought. "Why do you feel like you have to apologize to me because I got pissed and left? You don't even know me."

"Fuck, you don't even know me, and you just threw a hissy fit over _something_ I did," Bobby said, voice rising a little. He sounded angry, but Jack knew he wasn't. He was just frustrated. "I don't even know _what_ I did, exactly, but I'm just a stranger in a bar, right? Why the hell should it matter?"

"I don't know," Jack mumbled, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes again. "That's what I've been trying to figure out."

Both Jack and Bobby fell silent then, letting what they had just said sink in. Bobby finished his cigarette, crushing it under his foot much like Jack had just done, and turned around, leaning against his right arm to face Jack. Jack refused to look at him, instead staring up at the sky, trying to count the number of stars he could see. _Fuckin' city lights, I can't see shit..._

"So, your mom die, or what?" Bobby asked, hands shoved in his pockets. Jack tried hard not to flinch at Bobby's tone...he had a feeling empathy wasn't Bobby's forte.

"Dunno," Jack said after a moment, shrugging. "I've never met her."

"Your dad?"

"Nope."

"Foster home?"

"Yep."

"Yeah," Bobby said with a long sigh. "Me too."

Jack looked down at him, realizing that his anger was long gone and had been replaced by a sharp pang of loneliness. "You lived in a foster home?"

"Mmmhmm," Bobby continued, nodding, his voice rough. "Evelyn Mercer was the best thing that ever happened to me. She adopted me...she's my mother, I don't care what any fuckin' birth certificate says."

Jack nodded, blinking and looking away from Bobby again. "Good for you. Fuckin' running away was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Bobby made a humming noise in the back of his throat, but refrained from asking any more questions, looking down at the ground. Silence filled the air again, until it threatened to suffocate Jack. He had to ask...

"Does this feel...weird to you?"

"Huh?" Bobby asked, glancing up again.

"I don't know...this. You...and me...and...tonight."

Bobby blinked, startled. "If you're fuckin' comin' on to me, you're wasting your time, because I'm not..."

"_No_." Jack threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. He was too tired for this. "Fuck, no. Forget it. Forget I said anything."

Bobby just started at him, crossing his arms across his chest. "You're a weird fuckin' kid, you know that, Jackie? A _weird_ fuckin' kid."

"So I've been told," Jack murmured, turning around a kicking at the wall. He now felt extremely uncomfortable under Bobby's gaze, and leaned against his own right arm with his back to the older man.

"I don't get you," Bobby continued unexpectedly. "And I don't get this."

Jack looked back over his shoulder. "Don't get what?"

Bobby paused. "I don't know." He was silent for another moment, then backed away from the wall abruptly. "Whatever. My shift's over soon, I'm cuttin' out early. Wait here, I'll give you a ride home."

"What?" Jack froze, suddenly tensing up again. "No, you don't have to..."

"Yeah, why not?" Bobby asked, making his way towards the door. "You're obviously sick or something..."

"I'm not sick."

"You passed out, remember?" Bobby pointed out, stopping right outside the door. "I can't leave a sick sixteen year old..."

"_Nineteen_."

"...to wander the streets after leaving my bar..."

"It's not your fuckin' bar."

"...and get himself killed. It just wouldn't be right."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, right, and you're just the picture of morality."

Bobby grinned. "Of course. I'll be right back."

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but Bobby was already through the door and out of sight. He sighed, groaning in frustration. Not only had he figured absolutely _nothing_ out about tonight, about Bobby, about everything else, but now Bobby was going to have to find out that he didn't actually have a place to live. For some reason, that made Jack uncomfortable. He didn't want Bobby to think he was weak, and he definitely didn't want Bobby to take pity on him.

"Alright," Bobby was back outside in no time, wearing a leather jacket and carrying a set of keys. He started walking towards the parking lot. "This way."

"You don't have to do this," Jack insisted, jogging after him, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "It's not far, I can walk."

"You're still wet," Bobby said without looking back, obviously referring to the water he'd thrown on Jack. "I'm not gonna be responsible for your death. I don't need that on my conscience."

"I'm just staying at a friend's," Jack continued, beginning to get nervous. If Bobby didn't give in, he was going to have to make up a location where Bobby could drop him off. He _refused_ to let Bobby know he was homeless. "I'm serious. I'm just gonna walk."

By this point they'd reached Bobby's car, and Bobby was already unlocking the door. "Just get in the fuckin' car, ya fairy. I don't see why you're makin' a big deal out of this."

Bobby got in and slammed the door, and Jack made a noise of frustration, hesitating outside of the car. _Great. Just fuckin' great._

"Get in the car," said Bobby's muffled voice from inside the vehicle. Jack opened the door, sinking down into the seat. He slammed the door harder than Bobby had, folding his arms across his chest.

_Alright, Jack. What now?

* * *

_

**Eva Deanna: **I've always wanted to do an AU, and Four Brothers seems to have strong enough characters where I can keep their same personalities in the context of a completely different plot. I'm glad you like it!

**Ebz: **Suspense is my middle name! It's no problem that you're confused, I wrote the first chapter in the hopes that the readers might be a little confused as to what was going on with Jack and Bobby. However, a slight warning: there won't be any definite answer until later in the story! As for The Departed...don't even get me started! The best movie I've seen this year, hands down. My favorite Mark Wahlberg quotes: "Who am I? I'm the guy who does his fuckin' job! You must be the other guy." AND "Maybe, maybe not. Maybe fuck yourself." Love it! (PS: Have you seen the tralier for Eragon? Because Garrett Hedlund looks mighty fine with black hair and a sword.)

**Ophelia Hyde: **Don't worry, the "sweetie" doesn't bother me...my friends and I are pretty loose with our terms of endearment. I'm glad you like it so far, and I'm flattered by your compliments. My biggest goal with my writing is to keep everyone in character, and it's nice too see that I'm doing a decent job of it. As for perfection...I've still got a long way to go! Thanks again!

**Rogue21493: **Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

**stefanie:** There's your next chapter. Chapter 3 coming soon!

**Sparks Diamond**: I love a good cliff hanger, there's no better way to end a chapter!


	3. In Which Progress Is Made

AN: I wanted to thank you guys so much for all your great reviews! They are really encouraging! On the down side, they make me _really_ want to write and post the next chapters, even though I should be doing more productive things like studying for finals and such...oh well. I can multitask. Just so you guys have an idea of where this story is going: I'll be developing characters (there's still one Jack hasn't met yet!) and introducing some more plot points for the next couple of chapters. Around chapter 5, we'll get our first hint towards the nature of Jack and Bobby's relationship, and around chapter 7, the real action will start (unless, of course, I do some drastic reworking in the future). This is turning into quite the epic! Also, I'll be developing an original character in a few chapters. I promise you it's not a Mary Sue, and it's no one's girlfriend...it's not even female. It's Chad from chapter 1, and he'll have a role to play yet in the story, so keep reading and reviewing! Thanks again!

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"So...where to?" 

Jack looked up, oblivious to the fact that he'd zoned out, staring through the window with no interest as his mind wandered. He noticed that Bobby was stopped at a stop sign, showing no intention of continuing out onto the road, and was staring at Jack with an odd expression on his face. "Huh?"

Bobby laughed, although he sounded slightly annoyed. "Where am I taking you? I'm not a mind reader, I don't just _know_ where you wanna go."

Jack chuckled nervously, twisting his hands in his lap. _Shit, now what?_ "Umm," he mumbled, looking to the left and the right frantically. "Go...go that way." He pointed left, towards a large apartment complex he could see in the distance. He'd have Bobby drop him off there.

"That way, huh?" Bobby laughed again, pulling out into the intersection. "It doesn't even sound like _you_ know where you're going."

_Yeah, sounds that way, doesn't it?_ Jack thought, laughing awkwardly. His eyes wandered to the window again, watching the bleak Detroit landscape pass by as a cold drizzle started to fall. He hated nights like these, too warm to snow, but cold enough to make the rain absolutely miserable.

"Now where?" Bobby had stopped the car again, and was looking at Jack with the same peculiar look on his face. Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat, stretching to find the apartment complex, trying to guess the quickest route.

"Umm...left, again," he said, his voice giving away his uncertainty. Bobby smirked.

"You sure?" he asked, turning sideways in his seat to get a better look at Jack. "You don't sound too sure about that."

"What is this, a fuckin' interrogation?" Jack spat angrily. His already tense mood was starting to worsen; he wasn't looking forward to sleeping in the rain. "I know how to get to my own house, thanks."

"I thought you were stayin' at a friend's place?" Bobby asked, and Jack suddenly hated the arrogance in his voice. "Change your mind?"

"Well, yeah...fuck." Jack was squirming now, keeping his eyes locked on the apartments in the distance, away from Bobby. "Now that I have a ride...I don't have to walk...so yeah, I can...you know...go home..."

"Okay, okay," Bobby chuckled, turning left. Instead of letting them sink into another uncomfortable silence, however, Bobby continued the conversation. "So who are you rooming with? Friends? Band mates? Complete strangers?"

"Umm…" _Shit,_ Jack thought, frantically trying to develop a believable story. "Strangers. Yeah, complete strangers. I...uh...found an ad in the paper, looking for a roommate, so, you know."

"Hmm, I see." Bobby still sounded too smug for Jack's liking. "And your band gets a lot of gigs? Is that how you pay the rent? I don't think I've ever seen your band play before tonight."

"Yeah, well, we don't play a lot in this area," Jack said, refusing to meet Bobby's gaze as he looked over. "We do a lot of...out of town shows. Right, turn right," Jack added as he saw the complex approaching quickly out his window.

"Okay," Bobby said, sounding entirely unconvinced. "So what's the address?"

Jack felt his throat starting to close up as they approached the apartments, a combination of Bobby's questioning, his still throbbing headache, the events of the night, and the forlorn realization that he would have to spend the night sleeping on a deserted porch or under a bench to keep himself dry catching up to him. "Um, it's right...it's right up here. In that building over there."

"What building?" Bobby asked, shifting to look closer out the window. "What's the address? Maybe I know it."

Jack was getting desperate. He looked to his left, out Bobby's window, and saw a smaller building, perhaps another apartment complex, closer to them. "Stop. We're here."

"What?" Bobby asked, stopping, still looking out the window, perplexed. "Where?"

"Right there," Jack motioned to the building with a nod of his head, already reaching for the door handle. "Thanks for the ride. I'll..."

"Wait, wait," Bobby shook his head, reaching for Jack's arm, but Jack was already moving out of the car. "You live there?"

"Yeah," Jack said hurriedly. He leaned on the car, sticking his head in for another moment, letting the rain, which was starting to fall harder, soak the back of his jacket. "Thanks again. Bye."

Bobby opened his mouth to say something else, to protest, but Jack slammed the door, quickly jogging around the front of the car, across the street, and up the stairs to the rundown building without giving a second glance back to the vehicle or the man inside. He felt his eyes starting to well up, not understanding why. He'd slept on the street before, in the rain, in the snow...why was this time any different?

Jack reached out towards the doorknob, planning on waiting inside until Bobby was gone and then trying to find a relatively dry place to spend the night. However, his plans were thwarted when he attempted to pull the door open, finding that the building was locked.

"No," he whispered hoarsely, trying to yank the door open again with no avail. "No, no, no, no..."

Leaning forward to rest his forehead on the door, Jack considered his options. He could keep pretending, saying that he told Bobby the wrong place, that it all looks the same in the dark, or that he locked his keys inside and would wait for someone else to let him in...but he knew Bobby wouldn't buy it. He could ask Bobby to take him back to Chad's place, but he really didn't feel like walking in on Chad and the blonde girl with the kind of night he'd had.

When he turned around, part of him was relieved that the car was still there, Bobby sitting inside, watching his every move. He wiped his eyes, sniffled a little, took a deep breath, and started walking back to the car. He hadn't wanted to leave, anyway...he just hadn't wanted Bobby to find out his living situation...or absence of one, in this case.

Jack pulled the car door open, refusing to meet Bobby's eyes with his own red-rimmed gaze. He slid in, sinking down in the seat, trying to disappear, and rubbed his arms with his hands in vain. He was shivering now, and he knew he must look pathetic to Bobby: soaking wet, shivering, with red eyes and a runny nose. Absolutely pathetic.

"So," Bobby began, and Jack almost flinched. He expected Bobby's voice to sound at least a _little_ more sympathetic. "You wanna tell me why you lied?"

"Not really," Jack whispered, still rubbing his arms. "What does it matter, anyway?"

"It matters because I'm not gonna leave you to sleep in the rain out on the street!" Bobby suddenly raised his voice, and Jack scooted closer to the car door. He didn't like it when people yelled. "Jesus, kid, do you _want_ to spend the night in the rain?"

"No," Jack replied, voice still low. "I don't really have a choice, though, do I?"

Bobby shifted in his seat so that he was facing Jack again. "Look...my mom has cycled the most fucked up foster kids that Detroit has to offer through her home." He paused, chuckling. "I should know, I'm fuck up numero uno. I was so bad she couldn't find anyone to adopt me. Mom says she kept me because I was her favorite, but...well, I'm not stupid."

Jack, for the first time all night, realized that he didn't have to worry about Bobby taking pity on him. From the sound of it, Bobby had gone through his fair share of hard times as well.

"My point is," Bobby continued, trying to catch Jack's eye, thought Jack still refused to look at him, "that Evelyn Mercer is the sweetest woman in the goddamn world, and you'll have a place to stay in her home if you need it. Any abandoned kid, any kid left out on the street...well, she takes it as a personal responsibility to help as many of 'em as she can."

"I don't need anyone's help," was Jack's stubborn reply. "And I'm not a goddamn kid that can't take care of himself."

"Okay, listen to me." Bobby was suddenly angry, and Jack started to lose some of his resolve. "You gotta learn right now that not every person who offers to help you is offering you fuckin' charity, or pities you, or feels _sorry_ for you. You hafta be fuckin' _gratefu_l for what you can get, what's offered to you, or you'll spend your entire life in someone's doorstep hoping you don't shot, or in jail hoping you don't get killed."

"Bobby," Jack turned to face him, now feeling like he had to apologize, to make up for being stubborn, for being angry, but couldn't think of anything to say. He settled for, "Why are you doing this?"

"What? Trying to help?" Bobby asked incredulously.

Jack rested his temple against the headrest, feeling extremely exhausted. "Yeah. Helping. All of it. Talking to me in the bar, giving me a ride, inviting me to stay in your house...why? I could be some crazy psycho, some gang member, a serial killer. You met me...what, two hours ago? And you already trust me enough to offer me a room in your home. Why?"

Bobby sighed, losing his anger at the sight of Jack's confusion and weariness. "Well, _you're_ the one who got into my car. Jack, I can take care of myself. Spending so many years out on the streets, in and out of homes, in and out of trouble...I'd like to think I got enough street smarts to keep me alive. I don't _need_ to trust you," he grinned, "I just need to make sure you're not gonna kill me when I look away. And judging from the looks of you...well, I'm not too concerned."

Jack grinned as well, tiredly, but a grin none the less. "But you do trust me."

Bobby shrugged. "Maybe. You trust me."

Jack lowered his eyes with a slight nod. "Yeah...look, Bobby, I have trust issues. I don't..." he took a deep breath. "I can't...some things happened. And I have problems...trusting people. But...not you. I trust you. I met you two hours ago, and I trust you. I don't...I don't get it." Jack looked back up at Bobby. "You can't tell me you don't feel something...weird...about tonight. Something's off, and you know it."

Bobby just stared at Jack for a moment, as if searching for something, then suddenly turned around in his seat and threw the car into drive. "Come on, let's just go. I want to fuckin' go home and go to bed. You're not stayin' in this shit hole."

"Bobby..."

"One night, Jack." Bobby didn't look away from the road as he pulled out and turned around. "Eat a home cooked meal, sleep in a warm bed, and then if you want, you can leave in the morning. What could possibly be wrong with that?"

Jack just shook his head, turning around and leaning back against the seat. As much as he wanted to take Bobby up on the offer, as much as he trusted Bobby, he didn't know if he could suddenly trust this Evelyn woman without even meeting her. His previous foster home situation had been...well, he'd run away, hadn't he? The idea of a foster home gave Jack a sick feeling in his stomach and a shaky feeling in the rest of his body. But Bobby...she was Bobby's mother, wasn't she? Bobby didn't seem like the kind of person that would take shit for very long...not like he had...

"I knew you were homeless."

Jack looked back up at Bobby, whose eyes were still fixed on the road. "What?"

"I knew you were homeless, before we got here, before you even got in the car," he said, sounding like he had trouble believing the words that were coming out of his mouth. "I just...knew it. I don't fuckin' know how or why, I just did."

"Like I knew you played hockey," Jack nodded, wishing Bobby would look at him. "Like I knew they called you the Michigan Mauler."

"Yeah, like that," Bobby said, nodding as well. "And...when I called you Cracker Jack. I don't know...it felt...like I had called you that before."

"Yeah," Jack was suddenly more awake. "Yeah. Everything was so...familiar." He paused, thinking back through the night's events. "Names. Did you get any random names that just...seemed to pop into your head for no reason?"

Bobby hesitated. "This is so fuckin' weird," he mumbled, shaking his head, as if to get rid of his thoughts. "Chad. Do you know anyone named Chad?"

Jack grinned stupidly. "My bassist."

"More like your boyfriend from the looks of that smile," Bobby snorted. "Ya little fairy."

"Oh, shut up," Jack retorted without anger. "My turn. Who are Amelia and Daniela?"

"Wow," Bobby said, surprised. "Random. Those are Jerry's kids..."

"And his wife?"

Bobby finally looked at him, and Jack couldn't tell if the look in his eyes was from amazement or skepticism. "Camille."

Jack beamed. "I knew that, too. And Sofi?"

Bobby cracked a grin. "Ah, La Vida Loca. Angel's little Latina piece of ass." Jack gave Bobby a confused look at the new name. "Oh, Angel, my brother. A Marine, he's in Iraq."

"Oh," Jack nodded. "Okay...one more. Who's Victor Sweet?"

Suddenly, Jack's upper body flew forward as Bobby slammed on the breaks, tires spinning a little from the wet road. _Thank God for seatbelts,_ Jack thought, otherwise he might have been through the windshield and facedown on the pavement by now.

"Where the fuck did you hear that name?" Bobby asked viciously, and Jack was startled by his sudden change of mood. Jack backed up a little, as far as he could until he felt the cold window, damp with condensation, on his back.

"I...I just thought of it, randomly," he stuttered, Bobby's fiery gaze making him nervous. "Just like...like Jerry's kids, and Sofi, and..."

"You stay the _fuck_ away from him, you hear me?" Bobby pushed his finger into Jack's chest, and Jack flinched at the contact. "Do you _hear _me?"

"O-okay," Jack squirmed away from Bobby, not knowing how to react. "Fine. Whatever. I don't even fuckin' know who that is."

"Fine, just..." Bobby relaxed a little, leaning back into the seat, letting off the breaks and continuing down the road again. "He's not good news, Jack. I don't want you getting fucked around in his shit."

"I never said I was." Jack was slightly annoyed that Bobby had gotten so angry. Things were going so well... "You seemed to be pretty interested in his shit tonight."

"This isn't about me, Jack," Bobby warned. "Wait...how did you know...?"

"The coat guy, right?" Jack asked, and Bobby nodded once. "Yeah, I thought so. Just a feeling." He didn't want to mention that the feeling had been the one to make him pass out, the one that had made him dream of pain and snow while lying on the bar floor.

"Well, it doesn't matter, okay?" Bobby said. "Just stay away from him."

"What are you, my big brother or something?"

Jack regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He throat suddenly closed up, his eyes welling with tears again, and he had no idea why. He swallowed thickly, trying to will the moisture from his eyes. Bobby would think he was a pussy if he saw him tearing up for no reason...

But when Jack looked over at Bobby, it seemed as if something about his statement had struck a nerve with Bobby as well. He was gripping the steering wheel so tight that Jack could see his knuckles turning white; on the contrary, his eyes appeared softer, his brow furrowed seemingly in bewilderment.

They stayed silent for what was probably only five minutes, but seemed like hours to Jack. He had finally gotten rid of the tears, although he was sure that his red eyes and runny nose made him appear all of five years old either way. He felt shaky and weak, like someone had ripped out a vital piece of him, something very important...

"I know you're sixteen, so you can give up the nineteen bullshit right now." Bobby's voice was rough when he spoke again. "And I have one more question. One more name."

Jack nodded. "Shoot."

"John Davis. Who's that?"

_No._ Jack's breath caught in his throat, gasping audibly as he dropped his head into his hands. Bobby turned to look at him, startled.

"What?" he asked, looking at Jack's hunched form. "Are you okay?"

_Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..._

"No one," Jack croaked out, not lifting his head. He couldn't believe it...

"Really? Because..." Bobby hesitated, "because when I thought...I got this feeling that..."

"Like the feeling I get when I think of Victor Sweet," Jack finished for him. Bobby nodded.

"Yeah. Probably."

They drove in silence the rest of the way to the Mercer home, Bobby reluctant to bring up something else that would startle Jack, and Jack too shaken to bring up anything else at all. It had caught him so completely off guard. That was a name he never expected...never _wanted..._ to hear again. How could Bobby know?

"Okay," Bobby said, shifting the car into park. Jack blinked, noticing that they were stopped in front of a relatively decent looking brick house. "Here we are."

Jack nodded, taking off his seatbelt and pushing the door open. He stepped outside, hunching his shoulders against the cold rain as he shut the door, following Bobby up to the front porch. He stopped on the top step, suddenly hesitant to go inside. John Davis' name had thrown him for a loop, and now, entering another foster home...even on his own will...seemed like a ridiculous thing to do.

"Jack?" Bobby asked, his voice softer than Jack had heard all night. "Come on. Let's go."

"I..." Jack stumbled with the words he wanted to say, tempted to back away from the house and just _run_. "I...I don't know..."

"Fuck, nothing's gonna happen," Bobby said, and Jack didn't know if he should take that as simple reassurance or as a promise. "Let's go. It's cold."

Jack nodded, taking a deep breath and stepping onto the porch. Something deep inside told him that Bobby wouldn't let anything happen.

* * *

**pwrhungryjr:** I'm glad you like it so far! It's okay if you don't quite understand what's going on yet, I'll be providing some explanations in the chapters to come. For now, I'm just working on plot and character development. Thanks for reading! 

**Sparks Diamond:** Glad you enjoyed this chapter! The next update will be sooner than later, I hope!

**Stefanie:** Thank you very much! I'm really glad you like it. As for the confusion, don't worry. More hints and explanations will be dropped in the upcoming chapters!

**Eva Deanna:** I hope chapter 3 was updated soon enough! Winter break is quickly approaching, which means I will have a lot more time to write _and_ many more chances to update. I like to get a new chapter written before I post another, but if I don't have enough time, I'll post to keep the peoples happy! As for Jack getting water thrown on him...that was just one of those little details that plagued me from the beginning of the story that I had to include or else I'd go crazy. Anyone else get those? (shrug) Maybe it's just me. I'm definitely having the most fun writing Bobby's character.

**pen: **Thank you so much. That is seriously the best compliment someone can give, because I work _so_ hard on in-character development. The next update should be soon, hopefully!

**Ebz:** Eragon Movie Countdown: 11 days! I'm glad you're starting to understand, and don't worry, I'll work very hard at adding some hints and some explanations to the next few chapters.

**Ophelia Hyde:** Aww, thanks babe! (I have some bad habits of my own) A diamond in the rough...wow, what a compliment! Thank you! As for your guess...well, I can't really tell you! Sorry! I will say this, though...that fact that this story is "AU" says more than you might think. Next update coming soon!

**Rogue21493:** Jack is okay! For now...(insert evil laughter here). I'm such an angst whore, please forgive me. Thanks for reading, update coming soon!

**xXJackxXmy3rdXclassXrockXStarX:** Wow, apologies if I didn't type that name right, it's quite long...I like it though! Thank you very much, I'm glad you're liking it. I'm trying to keep the details at a reasonable level, as I tend to get lost in detail sometimes and kill the plot. We'll see how it goes...Thanks again!


	4. In Which Some Questions Are Asked

AN: Here's chapter four, better late than never! Finals week is finally over, although I'm pretty sure half my brain was removed in the process, and winter break is finally here! Which means more time to write, and more writing means more updating! I'm still in the process of writing chapter seven, but I thought I made you guys wait long enough, so I posted chapter four early. Anyway, chapter five is finished, chapter six is being edited, and chapter seven is coming along nicely. Updates will come sooner, I promise! On to your chapter...and thanks again for the reviews! You guys are great!

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"Ma? I'm home!" 

Bobby slipped off his shoes immediately upon entering the house, kicking them to the side, away from the door, before continuing down the hall towards the kitchen. He looked behind him, making sure that Jack was still following, and saw that Jack was lingering by the door, hands shoved in his jacket pockets and eyes wide.

"You gonna come in or what?" Bobby asked, and Jack nodded uncertainly, falling in step behind him. They made their way into the kitchen and Bobby shrugged out of his coat, tossing it onto the table with his keys. "Ma? Hello?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," came a female voice from behind them, and Jack felt his shoulders tense. He turned around slowly and came face to face with an elderly woman, her kind features and white hair making her seem more like Bobby's grandma than his mom. She carried a wicker basket of laundry into the kitchen, setting it down on the table next to Bobby's jacket and smiling warmly at Jack. "You're home early from work, dear. Who's this?"

"Mom, Jack," Bobby stepped behind Jack and pushed him forward a little, ignoring Jack's reluctance to move. Jack stumbled, looking at the woman with wary eyes. "Jack, this is my mother, Evelyn Mercer."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack," Evelyn said, still smiling and extending her hand towards Jack. "I'm always interested in meeting a friend of Bobby's."

"Don't start, Ma," Bobby warned as Jack shook her hand, sauntering over to the fridge and grabbing a beer. Evelyn patted Jack's hand, leaning in closer to the younger boy.

"He's always had _very_ interesting friends, my Bobby," she murmured, her voice teasing and full of mirth. Jack couldn't help but smile as well, noticing how warm Evelyn's hands were around his. "Why, I remember this one time, when Bobby was younger, he brought home..."

"Okay, okay," Bobby cut in, waving a hand. "Stop right there. Don't you think we at least need to feed Jack before we tell him my childhood horror stories?"

"You haven't had dinner?" Evelyn asked, looking to Bobby first, who shrugged around a mouthful of beer, then to Jack. "Would you like something to eat, Jack?"

"Oh...no thank you, Mrs. Mercer, I..." Jack began, but was cut off by Evelyn's laughter.

"Please, dear, call me Evelyn," she chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "No one under thirty has called me Mrs. Mercer in years. How old are you, anyways, dear?"

"I'm, um, nin..." He began, but Bobby coughed loudly, shooting him a glance from the other side of the room. "I'm sixteen."

"Oh," Evelyn said, sounding surprised. "Did you meet Bobby at the bar? Sixteen's a little young to be hanging out at bars, don't you think? Bobby, did you have something to do with this?"

Bobby snorted. "Right, Ma, like I have nothing better to do with my life than corrupt sixteen year olds while I'm supposed to be working."

"I'm in a band, Mrs...Evelyn," Jack offered as Evelyn shot Bobby a look that clearly said _don't give me that tone_. "We played at the bar where Bobby works tonight."

"I see," Evelyn said, smiling. "Well, are you boys hungry? I can heat up some leftovers."

"That's alright, Ma," Bobby said. "We can heat them up ourselves. It's late, you can go to bed."

"Alright, sweetheart, don't stay up too late," she said to Bobby, walking over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, boys. Nice to meet you, Jack."

Jack nodded, still feeling a little awkward. Bobby hadn't even mentioned the fact that Jack was homeless, hadn't even asked if Jack could stay. He didn't know what to make of this...this woman, this house...the entire night...

"Bobby," Jack blurted out when Evelyn was out of earshot, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot. "Um, are you sure...are you sure it's okay?"

"What?" Bobby asked, walking over to the refrigerator and opening it, looking for something to eat. "You mean is it okay that you stay here?"

Jack nodded. Bobby sighed, leaning on the refrigerator door. "Of course it's fine, why wouldn't it be fine?"

"Um...are you sure...are you sure she knows that I'm...staying?"

"Fuck, Jack, do you want me to ask? Would that make you feel better?" Bobby asked, exasperated. Jack nodded again. "Fine," Bobby said, rolling his eyes. "Hey, Ma!"

"Yes, Bobby?" came the replay from upstairs.

"Jack's staying in Matt's old room tonight."

"Bobby!" Jack hissed, his voice low. "You could at least ask..."

"That's fine, dear."

"See?" Bobby said, turning back to the refrigerator. "Nothin' to worry about. Now let's eat."

Jack nodded, still standing awkwardly in the middle of the kitchen, not sure of what he should do. Should he sit down at the kitchen table? Or did they eat in the living room, maybe? He didn't even feel that hungry, but was it rude to refuse the food that Bobby was offering? Was it rude to even be here?

"Any preferences, kid?" Bobby asked, head buried in the fridge. "I'm warnin' ya, we don't have that grand of a selection."

"Um, actually," Jack mumbled, "I'm not really that hungry. I'm just...kind of tired."

Bobby lifted his head of the refrigerator, looking back at Jack. "Well, you don't have to eat if you don't want to. Go ahead and go to bed. Upstairs, second door from the bathroom."

"Okay," Jack said, turning towards the stairs. "Thanks, Bobby."

"No problem," came the muffled reply as Bobby's head was back in the fridge.

Jack walked up the stairs, looking around when he got to the top. He saw the bathroom to his right, and a closed door straight ahead that he figured was Evelyn's room. The door to the left was cracked open, and he assumed that was the room he'd be staying in. He walked forward, pushing the door open all the way, and took in the sight of the small space.

It was relatively empty and remarkably clean, with a bed next to the window and a chest of drawers along the other wall. The walls were white, too white for Jack's liking, but the bed looked so incredibly inviting that he didn't care what the room looked like at all. It had been a long time since he'd actually slept in a bed. At Chad's it was usually the couch, and at his last home...well, there wasn't a whole lot of sleeping going on there...

Jack sat down on the bed, shaking his head. He didn't want to think about that right now. He had a roof over his head, and was going to sleep in a real, clean, soft bed. For tonight, he couldn't complain. But what about tomorrow night? And the night after that? He couldn't stay here again, and he couldn't live with Chad forever...

"Wall givin' you trouble there?" A voice from the doorway disturbed his thoughts, and he looked up to see Bobby leaning in the doorframe, an amused look in his eyes. Jack gave him a confused glance. "You're staring at it like it's gonna tell you the fuckin' mysteries of life."

"Oh," Jack mumbled, shaking his head again. "Sorry."

Bobby shrugged. "Don't apologize to me. It's the wall that's gonna be pissed if you keep it up." Jack just looked down at the floor. "It's a joke. Laugh. It's funny." When Jack still didn't respond, Bobby moved into the room and sat on the bed next to him.

"Okay, so it wasn't funny," Bobby said, trying to catch Jack's gaze. "Something on your mind, kid? Wanna talk?"

"I thought you were tired," Jack's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, I was," Bobby said, shrugging again. "But now I'm not."

"I was just thinking," Jack said, his voice exhausted. He felt his eyelids beginning to droop.

"About what?"

"Bobby," Jack's began, his tone a borderline whine. "All I wanna do is sleep right now. I can't even see straight."

Bobby nodded. "Sure, Jack. Whatever you want." He stood up, stretching his arms above his head. "You need anything, I'm downstairs. Otherwise, I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah," Jack replied as Bobby left the room, closing the door behind him. "Night."

Jack sighed, kicking off his shoes and pulling down the blanket. He crawled under the covers and curled up, not caring that the light was still on. He willed himself not to think anymore, and was asleep within seconds...

* * *

When Jack opened his eyes, the light was off and it was still dark outside. He curled up into a tighter ball under the blankets, shivering. For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was, and lay very still, trying to remember... 

_The band...playing at the bar...the bar...Bobby..._

_Oh yeah_, Jack thought. _I'm at Bobby's house._ He sat up, yawning, looking around. The room looked different in the dark, in the middle of the night. It looked bigger, emptier, lonelier...

Jack suddenly didn't want to be in that room anymore. It was too cold, too impersonal, and he felt like he was intruding in some way. The room had belonged to someone else, someone named Matt...this wasn't his room...this wasn't his home...

He stood up, padding across the room and pushing the door open. He was physically uncomfortable, realizing that he'd fallen asleep fully clothed, in his t-shirt, jacket, and jeans. He slipped out of his jacket, throwing it back onto the bed, and tiptoed quietly past Evelyn's door. He made his way almost silently down the stairs, wincing as one of them creaked loudly.

As he walked into the kitchen, his rumbling stomach reminded him that it had been far too long since he'd had a decent meal. Jack didn't want to take food now, in the middle of the night, though...for some reason, it felt like stealing. It wasn't as if he'd never stolen before. Quite the opposite, actually: when money was low, Chad was gone or feeling particularly spiteful, and food was completely necessary that day, Jack had been known to steal a decent haul with a skill that only practice could perfect. He didn't want to steal from the Mercers, though. Something in the pit of his stomach told him it was like stealing from his own family...

"Cracker Jack." Bobby's voice from the living room made him jump, his heart racing and his breath quickening suddenly. He whirled around to face Bobby, who was slouched on the couch, elbow resting on the armrest and his head propped up in his hand. The blueish light from the TV illuminated the room in a soft glow. "You gonna get something out of the fridge or just stand there and stare at it?"

"What are you doing up?" Jack asked, shuffling into the living room, ignoring the question. Bobby laughed.

"It's my house, I can get up when I want," he said, sitting up a little straighter. "The better question is what are you doing up? Thought you were so tired you couldn't even see straight?"

"I still am," Jack said, yawning, leaning against the wall. "How long was I asleep?"

Bobby looked up at the clock. "Not long, it's only three." He patted the couch cushion next to him. "Have a seat. You look like you're gonna pass out."

Jack trudged over to the couch, collapsing next to Bobby with a tired sigh. He yawned again, rubbing his eyes before resting his hands across his stomach, fingers intertwined, legs stretched out in front of him.

"Hungry?" Bobby asked. Jack shook his head instinctively, but was contradicted by his stomach, which reminded him of its presence by growling loudly again. Jack blushed, grateful for the dim lighting so Bobby couldn't see it. Bobby laughed again. "Your stomach seems to think otherwise."

"I'm fine," Jack muttered. "I don't want anything."

"Why not?" Bobby asked. "If you're hungry, eat. Mi casa es su casa."

_I wish_, Jack thought, his body sagging tiredly further into the couch cushions. He just shook his head, and Bobby shrugged. "Whatever," he said, leaning his head on his hand again and yawning. His eyes were fixed on the TV, where a late night replay of a Redwings game was showing. "You like hockey?"

"It's okay," Jack said. "I like to play it more than watch it."

"You play?" Bobby asked, genuinely intrigued as he lifted his head again.

"Kind of," Jack said, sitting up a little straighter himself. "I mean, not really...just for fun, you know? I used to play a lot when I was littler, in my first home."

Bobby nodded. "You should come play with me and my boys sometime. Me and Jerry get a vicious game of Turkey Cup goin' on thanksgiving."

"Sounds like fun," Jack said. "Who is Jerry, anyway?"

"What do you mean who is Jerry?" Bobby asked, and Jack noticed that his voice was also laced with fatigue. "I introduced you to Jerry. You met him already."

"No," Jack said, rubbing his face again. "I mean, who is he? How do you know him?"

"Oh," Bobby replied, resting his head against the back of the couch. "High school. I needed a math tutor, and the teacher recruited Jerry, because he's good with numbers and shit." Bobby chuckled at the memory. "I wanted nothing to do with him, fucked with him mercilessly for the first three days, insulting him, calling him names. On the fourth day, he insulted me back. We've been best friends ever since."

Jack couldn't help the bark of laughter that escaped from his throat. "He insulted you and that's how you became friends?"

"Yeah," Bobby said, smiling. "I knew he had balls then."

Jack laughed again, genuine, amused laughter. Bobby grinned wider at him when he yawned suddenly in the middle of his laugh, unable to control his tiredness. "If you're so tired, why don't you go to sleep?"

"Can't sleep," Jack replied. Bobby's grin was rapidly disappearing as he looked at Jack.

"Too much thinking?" he asked, and Jack suddenly felt like he'd said something wrong. "About John Davis?"

Jack was taken aback, the sudden mention of the name making him nervous. "What? No..."

"You wanna talk about him?" Bobby asked sincerely.

"No," Jack said adamantly, shaking his head, trying to appear confident although his heart was beating frantically in his chest. "I can't...not right now..."

"Why not?" Bobby asked as Jack refused to look at him. "Don't trust me?"

"We just met." Jack was still shaking his head, although his voice was softer.

"You think it feels like we just met?" Bobby asked, and Jack finally looked up. He tried to keep his voice calm, so as not to spook Jack. "Because to me, it feels like I've known you a lot longer than a couple of hours."

"It's only been a couple of hours?" Jack asked wearily, looking up at the clock again. It seemed like it had been forever...

"Yeah, a couple of hours," Bobby repeated, turning sideways on the couch to face Jack. "I don't know what the fuck is goin' on, okay? Something weird, something...something I can't even comprehend right now because I'm too damn tired. But we both know that it's goin' on. I felt the spark too, okay?"

"Okay," Jack whispered, his eyes watering. He wanted to tell Bobby...

"Okay," Bobby said, trying to coax Jack without being too pushy. "Who's John Davis?"

Jack took a deep breath, wiping his eyes. "My foster father." his voice was almost inaudible, and Bobby had to lean in to hear him. "I ran away, didn't I? Doesn't that tell you enough?"

"Not really," Bobby said, but something about his voice told Jack that he wasn't going to push the issue. "You said something about your first home...was that with him? Or before?"

"Before." Jack was grateful for the slight change of subject. He didn't want to cry in front of Bobby. He wanted to talk about playing hockey with his friends, about getting his first guitar with the money he'd saved from his allowance, maybe about smoking his first cigarette in grade school...

"Why'd you leave?"

_Shit._ Jack felt the tears welling up again. _I didn't want to talk about that_. He mumbled something inaudibly, and Bobby leaned in again, cupping his hand around his ear dramatically. "Come on, Jackie. You gotta learn to speak a little louder than that if you want anyone to take you seriously."

"I said they didn't want me anymore!"

Bobby recoiled, startled by both Jack's raised voice and what he'd revealed. "Oh," he said, sounding guilty as he reclined back again. Jack's shoulders slumped, embarrassed by his outburst and the moisture that was threatening to spill out of his eyes. He kept his head down, suddenly nervous around Bobby. Was he angry that Jack had yelled?

"Sorry," Bobby continued, and Jack nodded, rubbing his eyes.

"It's okay," he said miserably, trying unsuccessfully to make his voice sound nonchalant. "Not your fault."

"Yeah, well it's not your fuckin' fault either," Bobby spat, and Jack was surprised at the anger in his voice. He'd never had anyone get angry on his behalf...he'd had plenty of people get angry _because_ of him, hell, it was pretty much the story of his life...but never _for_ him. His face scrunched up in confusion, and he quickly wiped away a tear that happened to escape.

Bobby watched him closely, as if to gage his quickly changing emotions. "Come here, ya little fairy," he finally said, wrapping an arm around Jack's shoulders and roughly pulling him to his side. Jack's immediate instinct was to pull away, but Bobby's arm was warm around him, suddenly giving him more comfort than Bobby could have known. He resisted the urge to rest his head against Bobby's shoulder, knowing that would be drastically pressing his luck. Instead, he settled for leaning slightly into Bobby and letting his tired eyes close.

_This must be what it's like to have a brother,_ was the last thought that crossed his mind before he drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Kool-Aid Girl:** So, this is actually an answer to your review from chapter one, because somehow I missed it the first time around and I feel really bad about it. Many apologies! Anyway, I'm glad you like this story, and please don't die! Here's another chapter for you! 

**Rogue21493:** Hehe, I loves my angst. It keeps me going...and I can't tell you what happens next! But I can promise that the next chapter will be updated a lot quicker. Winter break time!

**Ebz: **Oh, my grammar skills are far from perfect, but I work hard at it. Being an English major, paper writing is my life. Bad grammar means bad grades. More updates soon, winter break means more time to write!

**pwrhungryjr:** Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

**xXJackxXmy3rdXclassXrockXStarX:** Thank you very much! It try to write in a way so people can visualize what's going on in their minds, like the characters are really up there having a conversation. At least, that's how I like to read. More updates very soon!

**Sparks Diamond:** Thank you! Updates soon because finals are over and winter break is here!

**Ophelia Hyde:** Of course I'll forgive you, I don't care when I get reviews! I'm just glad to get them at all! I'll definitely take that as a compliment, with many many thank you's attached to the end. And the reason I don't write romance...is because I can't. I've tried, it's no good. The angst part of my brain takes over and kills the story. So powerful, my skills are not. Just...limited. But thank you, anyway! As for the theory...well, I think that was answered in this chapter. Good guess, though! More updates soon!

**Eva Deanna:** Jack in a Santa hat? Yay! I'm looking forward to that story! I loved the protective vibe that Bobby gave off in the movie, and I really had a good time portraying that in the last chapter and in this one. To answer your questions: I'm pretty sure the John Davis one was answered in the above chapter, though you will learn more about him as the story progresses...the random memories thing will start being explained in chapter six, I believe, if everything goes according to plan (chapter five has been saved to showcase my OC)...but the _real_ scoop behind Jack and Bobby's connection won't be until closer to the end.

**anime-queen46:** Thank you, I will try!

**Death By Teacup:** I'm glad you like it. More updates coming sooon!

**BrittneyRose:** Thank you, I'm glad you like it! Updates will be coming sooner, since it's winter break time!


	5. In Which Someone Returns

AN: Thanks again so much for you reviews! You guys are so great! I've noticed that a number of you are commenting that you're confused, which is perfectly fine at this point. If Bobby and Jack are confused in the story, you should probably be a little confused too. However, you'll start getting some answers in the next chapter, and by the final chapter, it should all be cleared up (I hope)! This chapter is mainly to showcase my original character, Chad, because he has a larger role to play later in the story. I hope you like it, enjoy! And thanks again!

* * *

Immediately upon waking, Jack identified the smell of burning..._something_...coming from the direction of the kitchen. He scrunched up his nose, refusing to open his eyes as his mind protested being awake. His body, however, felt heavy, like he'd been lying motionless for too long. Rolling over and burying his face in the pillow, he moaned when he heard a loud crash. 

"Fuck," came the soft curse immediately following the noise. Jack smirked, starting to wake up a little more as he rolled over onto his back, finally opening his eyes. He stared at the ceiling, a strange sensation washing over him. His body felt like it was tingling...but not like when he sat on his feet or slept on his arm for too long. This was a feeling of...contentment. Happiness at the simple things surrounding him. The TV on mute so as not to wake him, the blanket covering his legs, breakfast cooking...or _over_cooking...in the kitchen, a mishap with the pans and the mumbled annoyance that followed...

It was all too normal for Jack, who realized at that moment that his life had never been, and would never be, normal. There would never be an older brother or mother or father cooking in the kitchen while he slept on the couch...if he slept on a couch, it was at Chad's, and the only smells were the lingering odors of weed and sex and spilled beer. In the past, a crash in the kitchen meant only anger and perhaps a beating later. The TV was usually on too loud, and the blankets were, if offered, ratty with holes too big for them to do any good.

Jack frowned. As good as this all felt, it also hurt. A lot. Because he knew that he could never have it. This was a dream, an unattainable fantasy that was cruelly shoved in his face, only to be snatched away yet again. _So is the way of the foster kid..._

"Rise and shine, sleepy head," Bobby called from the kitchen, seeing that Jack was awake. He was holding a pan in one hand, a spatula in the other, and was grinning from ear to ear. Jack had to grin as well. "It's breakfast time."

Jack sat up, stretching his arms above his head and tossing the blanket to the other side of the couch. He stood, yawning, shuffling into the kitchen to watch Bobby finish the cooking. There was a stack of pancakes on the table, sitting next to a plate of blackened bacon. _That explains the burning smell._

"Do you usually cook?" Jack asked, not able to hide the smirk in his voice as he sat down at the table. He picked up a piece of bacon and inspected it dramatically.

"No, I don't, so consider yourself lucky," Bobby said, picking up the last of the pancakes with his spatula and placing them onto the stack.

"Yeah, lucky," Jack said, raising an eyebrow and holding up the bacon for Bobby to examine. Bobby stared at it thoughtfully for a moment, before plucking it out of Jack's hand.

"Don't eat that," Bobby said, picking up the entire plate of bacon and dumping it into the trash as Jack laughed. "It's lunch time, anyway. Grab a pancake or two and I'll drive us through McDonald's."

"Wait, what time is it?" Jack asked, about to reach for a pancake. He looked around for a clock.

"Um, around 12:30, I think," Bobby said, laughing when Jack's eyes got wide. "What's the matter? Usually don't sleep that long?"

"Shit, no!" Jack suddenly jumped up from the chair. "I have band practice!"

"When?"

"Now!"

"What?" Bobby asked. "You have another gig tonight or somethin'?"

Jack didn't answer. Instead, he ran upstairs, searching frantically for his shoes and his jacket. He found them and slipped them on, almost falling down the stairs as he tripped over his laces. When he got back into the kitchen, Bobby was staring at him like he was crazy.

"Jesus, Jackie, where's the fire?" he asked, watching as Jack sat down and started tying his shoes. "So you'll be a little late, big deal. Slow down. Eat. You were hungry last night, you can't tell me you're not hungry now."

"I don't have time," Jack mumbled, finishing with the right shoe and moving on to the left one. "Chad's gonna be pissed, he's always pissed when one of us is late." He jumped up as he finished tying his shoe, hurrying towards the door. "Thanks again for letting me stay here, and for breakfast. Bye!"

"You didn't even eat anything!" Bobby yelled, loping after him. "Wait!"

But Jack was already out the door, leaping down the steps of the front porch and towards the street. When he got to the end of the walk, however, he stopped, looking left and right bewilderedly. He had no idea where he was, and no idea how to get to Chad's from here. The only thing he knew for sure was that the rain had turned to snow sometime last night, and the ground was covered in a fresh blanket, a couple of inches deep.

"Hey, dumbass!" Bobby shouted from the porch, and Jack turned around to look at him. He was dressed in only a thin t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, and the toes of his stocking feet wiggled in the cold. "Calm the fuck down, already. I'll give you a ride. Just...hold on."

Jack took a deep breath, stuffing his hands in his pockets as Bobby turned around to go back into the house. He wondered impatiently what time it was now. If he was more than a half hour late, Chad was going to _kill_ him...

"Okay." Bobby was back, this time sporting a pair of tennis shoes and a hoodie, slightly out of breath. "Let's go."

Jack followed him wordlessly to the car, his fingers itching for a cigarette. He opened the door and slid into the passenger's seat, leg bouncing.

"You've got fuckin' _issues_, kid, I'm tellin' ya," Bobby mumbled under his breath, scooting in and shutting the car door. "Do you always do everything to the goddamn extreme?"

"Huh?" Jack asked, distracted, his eyes and mind wandering, and Bobby shook his head.

"Nevermind. Where to?"

"Back to the bar," Jack said, chewing anxiously on his thumb nail. "It's right around there."

"Alright," Bobby breathed, starting the car. He swatted absently at Jack's hand. "Don't bite your nails. That's gross."

Jack placed his hand between his knees, leg still bouncing. Bobby looked over at him and smirked, pulling out onto the road. "Do you ever stop moving?"

"No," Jack replied, not really putting much thought into his answer. He looked around for something familiar to tell him approximately how far away they were.

"You should put that energy to use," Bobby continued. He looked away from the road and over at Jack again. "Play some hockey with us."

Jack snapped back to reality in an instant, looking over at Bobby. "Really? When?"

"Today," Bobby said with a shrug. "Jerry and me and some of the boys from our neighborhood are playin' a little friendly game. You should come."

"I don't have any gear."

"I do."

"Really?" Jack asked again, dumbly. He couldn't believe Bobby was inviting him somewhere...

"Yes, _really,_" Bobby laughed. "What's the matter? I thought you said you played hockey."

"Yeah, I do...I mean I did," he stuttered, smiling. "Just not in a while. And I didn't think...I don't know..." _I'd ever see you again?_

"Yeah, well, there ya go," Bobby said, looking back to the road. "I'm not lettin' you get away that easily, Cracker Jack. There's still _way_ too much about you I don't get."

Jack smiled again, not being able to help himself. He'd never been one to make friends easily...being a loner did have it's disadvantages...and, if he was being honest with himself, he'd have been crushed if he'd never seen Bobby again. If he felt like he could trust Bobby in only a day...well, that wasn't something he was willing to give up so soon. There weren't a lot of people in his life that he could trust.

"Oh, yeah, by the way," Bobby said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of bills. He handed it to Jack, who took it tentatively. "It was on the house."

"What?" Jack asked, looking at the money for a moment, then recognizing it as the bills he'd given Bobby to pay for his drinks last night. "Oh...no, you should really keep this. Not just for the beer, but for letting me stay and everything..."

"Bullshit," Bobby said, refusing to take the money. "You're not paying for that."

"Are you sure?" Jack asked, looking out the window as he started to recognized the buildings around him. "Because I can...oh, there!" He pointed out the window to a house a couple of yards down the road. "That's my stop."

Bobby pulled into the driveway, shifting the car into park. "Alright. I'll pick you back up here in..." he looked at his watch, "an hour? Is that long enough?"

"Yeah, that's good," Jack said, opening the car door. They never practiced long, anyway. Chad had way too short of an attention span for that. He stepped out onto the driveway, placing his hand on top of the door. "Thanks again."

"See ya later, fairy," Bobby said as Jack shut the door, and Jack flipped him off as he backed out onto the road.

He blew warm air into his hands, suddenly realizing how much colder it had gotten since last night. He'd definitely have to get some warmer clothes before he went out to play hockey with Bobby and the guys. All of his clothes were left at Chad's usually, so he could stop by to change or shower or do laundry when he wanted to...unless, again, Chad was particularly angry about something that day. Then his clothes would be shoved in a backpack and he'd carry them with him, wherever he went.

Jack let himself in the front door, bypassing the kitchen and giving an awkward nod to the blonde girl sitting on the couch in the living room._ Must be the girl he took home last night,_ Jack thought, opening the door to the basement and hurrying down the stairs. When he got all the way down, though, he noticed something odd: there were no instruments set up. And none of the other guys from the band were there. Just Chad, sitting on the couch, with...the same blonde girl? But hadn't she just been...?

"Way to show up on time, asshole," Chad said, his voice showing no real signs of anger as he looped an arm around the girl on the couch, flicking his long, greasy brown hair out of his eyes. She giggled. "Where ya been?"

"Sorry," Jack said, taking off his jacket and tossing it onto the couch next to Chad. "I overslept. Where's everyone else?"

"Michael and Eric went home," Chad replied, and Jack suddenly felt extremely guilty. Was he _that_ late? "I sent them home," Chad continued. "No practice today."

"What?" Jack asked, suddenly confused. "Why not?"

Chad sighed, standing and ambling over to Jack with his arms folded across his chest. "Because," he said, "Toby called. No show tonight. The bar manager cancelled on us, the bastard."

"Shit," Jack swore, folding his arms as well. "Why?"

"Didn't say," Chad said, reaching out to pat Jack on the arm. "Don't worry, man, we just got paid last night. That should last you for a while, right?"

"Right..." Jack mumbled, not believing his own words. They hadn't gotten paid much at all last night, and Jack was in desperate need of a good income. He hadn't a decent meal in...too long, as his stomach reminded him, growling again. _I wish I'd grabbed one of those pancakes._

"Hey, like I said, don't worry," Chad said, smiling, ignoring Jack's rumbling belly. "I've got a surprise for you."

_Food, please?_ "What?"

"Oh, just a little something." Chad was grinning devilishly, hands behind him as he backed up towards the couch. "Actually, two somethings. Two blonde, _identical_, somethings." The blonde on the couch giggled again in response, waving at Jack.

_Oh,_ Jack thought, suddenly feeling very awkward. _That explains the girl upstairs, then_. "Chad..."

"Come on, man, when's the last time you got laid?" Chad asked, sinking down next to the girl again and wrapping his arm around her waist, nuzzling her neck. She squeaked excitedly. "This is Maria. Anna is upstairs, waiting for _you._"

Jack sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't that he'd never had sex before...he just didn't want to have it now. And he hadn't had it since he'd run away. It was always awkward, forced, and he always got...nervous. Too nervous. Being homeless and living on the streets, he had more important things to worry about, anyway. Things like where his next meal was coming from, where he was going to sleep, if he was going to survive the night...

"I don't think so," Jack said, and Chad rolled his eyes. He leaned over, whispering something in the girl's...Maria's...ear, leaving her to squeal over it while he stood up, coming over towards Jack. He wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulders, leading him towards the other side of the basement. When they reached the wall, he turned around, grabbing Jack by the shoulders and making them face each other.

"Jackie," he started, and Jack immediately realized that the way Chad called him Jackie and the way Bobby called him Jackie were very different. "Are we cool?"

"What?" Jack asked, shifting under Chad's gaze. His dark green eyes had a way of intimidating Jack, piercing him like a knife. "Sure. Of course we're cool."

"Are you sure?" he persisted, his eyes questioning. "Because lately it doesn't seem that way."

"Why wouldn't we be?" Jack questioned, shrugging him off.

Chad cocked his head to the side, leaning against the wall. "I don't know. You'd have to tell me."

"Well," Jack started, forcing a smile, "I don't have a reason that we wouldn't be. So I guess we are."

"I guess we are," Chad repeated slowly, nodding. "Am I still your best friend?"

"Yeah," Jack blurted automatically, for the first time ever questioning, in his mind, if that was true. "Yeah, of course you are."

"Okay, then answer me this," Chad began, and Jack suddenly felt tense. "Where did you stay last night?"

_What? Why the hell does that matter?_ "At a friend's."

Chad snorted. "You don't have any other friends, Jack." _Ouch_, Jack thought, determined not to flinch and show Chad how much that statement...that _true_ statementstung. "Which means you probably went home with a girl last night...which makes me wonder, why won't you take this _free_ ass that I'm handing you, if you just went and got some yourself last night?"

"What?" Jack asked, stunned. "I did _not_ go home with a girl last night."

"A guy, then? Don't worry, I'm not prejudiced." Chad raised his eyebrows and smirked, showing most of his teeth in a way that made Jack want to cover his neck for fear of attack.

"Wha...no!' Jack stuttered, suddenly realizing the meaning of Chad's statement. "No, I did not...I mean technically I did...but not like...no!"

Chad laughed, throwing his head back. "Okay, okay, chill. I get it. So where _did_ you stay last night?" He paused, looking thoughtfully as Jack tried to recompose himself. "With that bartender?"

"Maybe," Jack mumbled. "What's it matter?"

"Oh, Jackie, come on," Chad laughed again, colder this time. "He was like, what, thirty?"

Jack suddenly realized he didn't know how old Bobby was. "I'm not sure."

"Jesus Christ." Chad shook his head. "What good do you think can come of a thirty year old befriending a sixteen year old, huh?"

Jack shrugged. "You're 21."

"That's different," Chad said, placing a hand on the wall beside Jack's head. He was taller than Jack, but not by much. Jack figured that he'd be taller in a year or so; Chad was done growing, while Jack, at sixteen, still had time. "That's not as big of an age gap. And we've known each other a lot longer. We're practically brothers, right?"

_Wrong._ Jack didn't answer. Chad sighed. "I'm just lookin' out for you, okay?" Jack nodded, looking down at the ground.

"I trust him," he mumbled and Chad chuckled.

"You think you do," he said, pushing himself upright again. "Anna's waiting. You goin' for it?"

"No." Jack was suddenly surer than ever about that. "You take her, too, if you want. I'm just gonna go watch TV or something."

"Whatever, man," Chad said, walking back to the couch and grinning at Maria. "More for me."

* * *

"Chad...Chad, yes! Oh, yes! Oh, Chad!" 

"Oh, shut _up_," Jack mumbled, turning up the volume on the TV as he rubbed a hand across his face. He'd been sitting on the living room couch, listening to Chad and the blonde girls go at it for the past 45 minutes now, and he was getting very tired of it. He sighed, reaching into the bag of potato chips he'd stolen off of the kitchen counter, disappointed to find it empty.

"Yes! Yes! Chad, please!"

"Yes, please," Jack murmured again. "_Please_ shut up." He flipped through the channels idly, not really looking for anything in particular, just something to distract him from the sounds coming from the back room. Because he could hear _every _sound...every shift, every breath, every moan...

The honk of a car horn outside suddenly shook Jack out of his self-induced stupor, and he jumped up excitedly, grabbing the backpack he'd packed with a couple changes of clothes and slinging it onto his back. He wanted to stay at Chad's as little as he possibly could, only when it was absolutely necessary.

"I'm leaving!" he called, not expecting Chad to hear him. Running outside, he slammed the front door, and jogged up to the car. He noticed that someone was sitting in the front seat, so he opened the back passenger side door and slid in. "Hey."

"Hey," Bobby replied, shifting the car into reverse and backing up. "You remember Jerry?"

"Hi," Jack said and Jerry turned around, nodding his head in acknowledgement.

"Jerry's so graciously pulled himself away from the family today to play a little puck with his poorly neglected best friend," Bobby said pitifully, and Jerry swatted him on the back of the head. "Ow! What the fuck, Jerry?"

"You deserved it," Jerry said, grinning. "It's not nice to be a smart ass. Or didn't your mother teach you otherwise?"

"Hey, don't start talkin' shit about my mother," Bobby warned playfully. "You know she could kick your ass any day."

"That is true." Jerry shook his head, chuckling. "And you're not poorly neglected. You're purposely ignored."

"Do you _want_ me to kick your ass, Jerry? Because I already thought you had a wife to do that..."

"Alright, that's it, the gloves are comin' off! You better watch your ass during the game, Mercer."

"Only because it's so pretty," Bobby smirked

"Whatever, man," Jerry laughed, looking out the window. "Camille was happy that I was gettin' out of the house, taking a little time off."

"I've been tellin' you to take some time off ever since you started that little business project of yours," Bobby said, his voice suddenly taking on a different tone.

Jerry shook his head. "Bobby, come on. Don't start in on me about that. Not now."

"Why not now, Jerry, huh?" Bobby asked, and Jerry just sighed. "Why not?"

"Because you're not even supposed to be _involved_, Bobby."

Bobby snorted sarcastically. "How can I not get involved? If you're gonna run around trying to get yourself killed..."

"Stop being dramatic. I'm not trying to get myself killed."

"Really? Because getting involved with Victor Sweet..."

"I'm _not_ involved with...what the...?"

"What?" Bobby asked as Jerry stopped, staring out the front window. He followed Jerry's gaze as he parked the car, then suddenly fell back against his seat. "What the _fuck?_"

"What?" Jack asked, suddenly intrigued. He'd been silent the entire car ride, listening to Jerry and Bobby argue (both playfully and not so playfully) about things he didn't understand. It made him feel painfully left out. He looked out the window, and saw a tall man walking towards them, carrying a large duffel bag over his shoulder and wearing jeans, a sweater, and a set of dog tags around his neck. He followed Jack and Bobby out of the car curiously. _Angel?_

"Angel?" Bobby and Jerry asked simultaneously, gaping at the man walking towards them. He smiled.

"Hey, there," Angel said, grinning. "I'm home."

* * *

**Eva Deanna:** Aw man, and that sounded like the beginnings of a very cute story...oh well. Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! 

**Ebz:** Gotta love platonic brotherly love...it's my favorite! And I promise, next chapter the questions will start being answered (although nothing will be fully answered until the last chapter). I really appreciate the compliment about my grammar, I try so hard to make everything perfect...I'm quite the perfectionist when it comes to my writing. Anyway, thanks for reading, more updates soon!

**Ella:** Bobby and Jack are too cute, I loved their relationship in the movie, and I just had to write something about them. I'm glad you liked it, thanks for reading!

**Ophelia Hyde:** It's really been quite easy for me to develop their relationship as the story goes on, because I definitely think that they had the strongest relatonship in the movie. What's been difficult is writing the other characters, especially Angel in the next chapter...I'm glad you thought my characterization of Evelyn was good, though! And your writing is not rubbish! I think I recall reading a one-shot of yours recently that was very good. I might try to write romance again, but not in this fandom. I like focusing more on the brotherly aspects here. Thanks for reading, glad you liked!

**Rogue21493:** Hurrying, hurrying! Glad you liked it, more updates soon!

**I believe in you:** I'm glad you like it, next update very soon!

**Death by Teacup:** Thank you very much. Like I've said before, I love writing Bobby. He just has such a strong personality (thanks partly to the wondeful Mark Wahlberg) that it's easier to portray him than other characters. Glad you liked it!

**xXJackxXmy3rdXclassXrockXStarX: **I'm glad it's easy to follow and understand, I always worry about that. That's such a compliment, that you felt like you were in the story, thank you so much! When I read, I like to immerse myself in the story, too, so I'm glad you feel that way! Thanks again!

**Brittney Rose:** It's okay that you're confused now, because Bobby and Jack are still confused in the story. Your questions will start being answered in the next chapter, though! I love Jack, too, so much, and I love writing him! I'm glad you liked it, thanks for reading!

**deathhasleftandwillnotreturn:** I'm glad you liked it. Thank you very much, and I definitely will continue with this story, I'm having such a great time writing it!

**Sparks Diamond:** Yay again for the brotherly love! I'm glad you like this story, and the next update shold be soon! Thanks!


	6. In Which Conflict Is Created

AN: Thanks again for your reviews! I wasn't going to post this chapter until after the holidays, but I thought I'd leave you all with an early Christmas present, since I probably won't get around to posting another chapter until after Christmas. Here comes the chapter you've been waiting for, your first hints towards Jack and Bobby's crazy relationship that I've created. And by the way, I really enjoyed all your reactions to Chad! They were very accurate, you'll see why in a chapter or two! Thanks again, enjoy!

* * *

"Is someone gonna get over here and give me a damn hug?" 

Bobby and Jeremiah stood side by side, gaping at Angel as Jack got out of the car. No one moved towards Angel until Jack slammed the door, feet scraping against the rock surface, the noise shaking them out of their momentary stupor.

"You're supposed to be in Iraq," Jerry stated dumbly, although he was grinning from ear to ear. Angel laughed, dropping his bag to the ground.

"Does this look like Iraq to you, asshole? Because it's a hell of a lot colder here."

Jerry laughed as well, moving forward to envelop Angel in a tight hug. "It's good to see you, man."

"Good to see you too, definitely good to be home," Angel responded, pulling out of the hug and looking over at Bobby. "I see my brother's finally got the strong, silent thing down."

"Shut the hell up, Jarhead." Bobby walked forward, pulling Angel into an equally crushing hug. "Have we forgotten how to use a phone in our little time overseas? Or was calling your brother and telling him you're comin' home a huge inconvenience?"

"Man, it's called a surprise," Angel said, giving Bobby a playful shove. "You shoulda seen the looks on your faces." He paused, looking at Jack, confused. "Who's the new kid? I thought Mom wasn't takin' any more in."

"Oh." Bobby grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him forward. Jack stood awkwardly in front of Angel, looking increasingly more uncomfortable under the other man's gaze. "Angel, this is Jack. Jack, this is my brother, Angel."

Jack extended his hand, mumbling a hello, and Angel shook it, still looking at him quizzically. "Where did Bobby say you came from?"

"He didn't," Jack replied, sounding more annoyed than he'd intended. Something about the way Angel was looking at him made him feel on edge. He didn't really like to think about where he came from, and certainly didn't want to tell a complete stranger. "I mean...I really don't have..."

"He's just a friend of mine," Bobby continued, looking warily back at Jack, who showed his relief at Bobby's interruption. "We were gonna play a little hockey before your black ass showed up."

"Well, don't mind me," Angel said, picking up his bag and smirking. "I'll just be on my way..."

"Christ, Angel, don't be so damn obvious," Bobby chuckled. "You are _not_ goin' to see that girl."

"Who said anything about a girl, Bobby?" Angel asked, trying to sound offended. "I can't even believe you would think that. I was just gonna let you play your hockey game."

"We're not gonna play a damn hockey game now. Dinner and drinks on me, on behalf of Angel not getting' his ass blown up in Iraq!"

Jack's heart sank at those words. _Not playing the hockey game?_ He'd been looking forward to it all day. It was his first real chance to hang out with Bobby, to try and prove himself as one of the guys. When would he get the chance now?

Suddenly a snowball hit Bobby on the side of the face, and he spun around to see Angel gracing him with a rare smile, arms crossed and leaning on the side of the car next to Jerry, who was trying to stifle giggles. Bobby pointed at them, giving a look of warning.

"Don't start something you can't finish, boys," he cautioned, and Jerry laughed even harder. Jack just stood there, hands stuffed in his pockets, eyes focused on the ground below him. As soon as Angel had arrived, he'd suddenly felt unbearably out of place. Bobby and Angel were so obviously brothers by the way they acted, and Jeremiah was just as close...Jack now realized he was only a random stranger who'd come across Bobby in a bar and felt something remotely familiar. They didn't have anything like the chemistry he was witnessing now.

"Jackie boy," Bobby was saying, and Jack looked up, noticing that everyone was around the car, staring at him. "You comin'?"

"Oh," Jack mumbled, shuffling his feet, not moving towards the car. "You mean to dinner?"

"Yeah," Bobby said, and Angel suddenly looked at him, annoyed. "Why not?"

Jack immediately noticed the look on Angel's face, and shook his head. "No, you guys go ahead."

"What?" Bobby asked, looking over at Jerry, who shrugged, and then to Angel, whose jaw was clenched but unmoving. "You guys don't mind, right?"

Before Jerry or Angel could answer, Jack shook his head. "No, Bobby. Go celebrate. I'll catch up later."

"What? Jack, come on," Bobby continued, and Jack cursed his stubbornness. He wanted so badly to go, but he didn't know if he could bear more of the awkwardness that Angel had created upon his arrival. Now, more than ever, Jack felt incredibly lonely. _Bobby's not my family_._ I have no family_.

"Bobby, listen to the kid," Angel argued coolly, opening the passenger side door and leaning against the top of the car. "He don't wanna go, don't make him."

"Yeah," Jack agreed, feeding off of Angel's words, even though the true meaning behind them rang loud and clear. _I don't want you there. I want to be with my family._ "I was gonna go to the library tonight, anyway. It's fine, really. Go ahead."

"Whatever," Bobby sounded more than a little angry, though his frustration seemed out of place for the situation. "We're takin' you to the library, though."

"Bobby..."

"Get in the damn car, Jack!" The tone and the volume of Bobby's voice startled everyone, and Jack hurried to the car, sliding into the back seat without saying a word. Bobby's sudden anger made him nervous, and he started biting at his thumbnail as the rest of the guys slipped into the car as well.

The ride to the library was spent mostly in silence, with Bobby refusing to meet anyone's gaze as he gripped the wheel with unexpected strength. Angel glanced at him a couple of times, flicking his eyes momentarily to Jack before returning to stare straight ahead. Jerry stared idly out the window, drumming his fingers against the armrest.

"Why are you going to the library?" Bobby grumbled, surprising Jack after the seemingly never ending silence. "You don't go to school, do you?"

Jack's mood fell further at Bobby's comment, feeling inferiority pile on top of the loneliness and annoyance that plagued him. He hated the fact that he wasn't going to school anymore, and he hated even more the way people thought of him because he lived on the street. It was instantly assumed, because he was homeless, that Jack was stupid, had obviously been kicked out of school, and preferred to use books as firewood than to actually read them. In reality, Jack loved to read, and would frequently visit the library, sitting in the aisles and reading until the librarian would come yell at him to check out or leave. Jack, much to his chagrin, couldn't check out. He didn't have a membership, mostly because he refused to give anyone his last name.

As for school, Jack had simply dropped out for protection. After he'd run away, Jack had gone to great lengths to ensure that John Davis wouldn't find him. He'd even left the city for a while, hitchhiking his way across Michigan, before finally returning to Detroit a month later when lack of money drove him to Chad's. He couldn't go back to school, though; it would have been way too easy for John to find him there.

"Hey," Bobby snapped, looking back at Jack through the rear view mirror. His eyes were different than Jack had seen them. There was anger there, but not at him...anger directed at a situation, more than a person. "I asked a question."

"No, I don't," Jack spat. _Two can play this game_. "Is that a problem?"

"You don't seem like the reading type," Bobby continued, looking back at the road.

Jack didn't respond to that. He knew that if he opened his mouth, he'd say something he'd regret. Something like _well, maybe I am the reading type. Maybe I am the musical, reading, loner type, and maybe you'd know that if you took the time to look. Maybe if you cared enough, you'd see that I'm so much fuckin' more than a homeless kid you met at a bar. Maybe, but it's alright, I don't expect you to, because I'm not your family, I'm not Angel, your brother, I'm not Jeremiah, your best friend..._

"There," Bobby said, and Jack snapped out of his mental tirade, noticing that his hands were shaking and his neck was warm. He was once again grateful for the lack of light; he was sure that his face was blazing red. The car was parked outside of the library, and Jack looked up. Bobby was staring at him through the mirror, while Angel was looking pointedly out the front window. Jack looked over at Jeremiah, who smiled, almost reassuringly.

"Thanks," Jack mumbled, grabbing his backpack and exiting the car, slamming the door on the way out. He walked quickly towards the front of the library, keeping his head down and waiting for the sound of the car pulling away.

"Jack!"

Jack stopped, letting his head fall back with a frustrated sigh. He turned around, looking back at Bobby, who was leaning out the car window. "What?"

"Stop by later," Bobby yelled, voice still hard and annoyed. "I wanna talk to you."

"Fine." Jack tried to sound equally annoyed. He whirled around again, shuffling back towards the front doors. He listened to the car finally pull away and pushed the library doors open with unnecessary strength.

The warmth of the library felt wonderful to his chilled ears and nose, and the dim lighting comforted him and soothed his frazzled nerves. He took a deep breath, looking around. He hadn't actually intended on going to the library tonight, but now that he was here, it seemed like a surprisingly good idea.

Jack walked around idly for a while, looking through the shelves for something that interested him. He ran his fingers along fiction books, non-fiction, travel...he almost stopped at travel, but figured that pictures of a different country, somewhere he could, yet couldn't, escape to, would only upset him further.

After a couple of minutes, Jack looked up to find himself in the science fiction section. It usually wasn't a section he visited; he liked to read more about the here and now, the real, or at least a world in which he could picture himself. Now, however, the science fiction section appealed to him, and scanned the titles half-heartedly, not really looking for anything specific.

Suddenly, the title of a book jumped out at him. _Parallel Universes and Alternate Realities_. He picked it up on a whim, interested and intrigued by its odd title. He'd never heard of a parallel universe before, and although it was something that he normally wouldn't be the least bit interested in, he scanned the pages anyway. He stopped at the fifth chapter, reading quietly to himself.

"_Parallel Universes,_" he began, reading the chapter's title. "_How the decisions you make and don't make affect the world around you and the worlds of others."_

Jack suddenly felt a tug in the pit of his stomach, and an image of Bobby flashed into his mind. He read on.

"A parallel universe is a self-contained, alternate reality that coexists with our own." He was mumbling quickly to himself now, his mind racing. He scanned ahead, murmuring unintelligibly until he reached a sentence that set off another mental alarm. The same kind of mental alarm that had gone off when he'd met Bobby. He took a deep breath, and read a little slower, a little louder. "One kind of alternate universe is created by speculating that each decision a person makes, each event in which more than one outcome is possible, creates a number of new universes and alternate realities. The decisions that are _not_ made create universes in which the alternate choices _are_ carried out, creating a completely different world than the one the person inhabits."

Jack stopped there, suddenly feeling exhausted at the information overload. His breathing was quick, and his heart rate was accelerated. At any other time, Jack would laugh this off, considering it to be the creation of someone's overactive imagination. However, after last night, all Jack could think about was Bobby...all the things he knew about Bobby, all the things Bobby knew about him...the way he felt like he was part of Bobby's family, and the way Bobby _treated_ him like family...the way he felt like Bobby's...

"Brother," Jack breathed, shutting the book quickly. _This is ridiculous_, he thought to himself, shutting his eyes. _Alternate realities and parallel universes? It's not possible. It's not real. Absolutely ridiculous._

But the more Jack tried to dismiss it, the more it intrigued him. He couldn't explain the spark, and he couldn't explain what he knew, what Bobby knew...maybe he'd been drawn to this book for a reason...

This felt too important to pass up. He hurried to the counter, shoving the book at the librarian. "I'd like to get a membership card and check this book out."

"Name?"

He took a deep breath. If this answered his questions, it'd be worth it. "Jack Davis."

* * *

"So, how did the war treat my baby brother?" Bobby asked, taking a long drink of his beer after they had ordered their food. Following a brief stop home, where Evelyn had thrown herself at Angel, fussing over him until Bobby insisted they had to leave, they'd decided to eat at the bar where Bobby worked. 

Angel shrugged, copying Bobby's actions and wiping his mouth. "Do we gotta talk about that shit now, Bobby?" hel asked, leaning back in his chair. "I just got back. Let's talk about something else. Somethin' you guys have been doing. We all know what I've been doing."

Bobby shrugged. "Whatever you want. You're the guest of honor."

Angel raised an eyebrow. "I'm a guest now? What, I leave for a couple of months, and..."

"Whoa, whoa," Jerry cut in, leaning closer to Angel's side of the table. "He didn't mean it like that, Angel. No need to be so edgy, man."

"Yeah, well, welcome to the life of a soldier." Angel took another swig of his beer. He put it firmly back onto the table, looking over at Bobby. "So, how are things? How's Mom?"

"Ma's good," Bobby said, leaning on the back two legs of his chair. "She's been real happy about somethin' lately, I'm not sure what. Anyway, she missed you. We all did, you know that, right?"

Jerry nodded at Angel. "Yeah, we all did. It's been pretty boring around these parts without your smart ass here to shake things up."

Angel chuckled. "I'm sure it ain't that bad. It is Detroit, after all. Not a day goes by where you boys don't get into some kind of trouble. Any arrests, Bobby?"

"Watch it, Angel, before I put you back on a plane to Iraq," Bobby smiled, crossing his arms across his chest. "I've been keeping straight...ish."

Angled laughed. "I'm impressed that your ass wasn't in jail when I got here. You been keepin' him clean, Jer?"

Jeremiah opened his mouth to answer, but it was Bobby who spoke up first. "Actually, Angel, you'll be surprised to know that it's been the other way around."

"What?" Angel asked, looking curiously at Jerry who was shaking his head, glaring at Bobby.

"Are you gonna bring this up every time we're in the same room together?" Jerry sounded angrier than he'd been in a long time. Even when he was furious, Jerry usually kept his cool. His eyes were the only thing that betrayed his anger.

"Maybe." Bobby stayed composed, taking a drink of his own beer. "Why don't you tell Angel about your little business project?"

"Because it's not a big deal."

"Then why won't you tell him?"

"_Because..._"

"Hey, hey," Angel said, placing his hands between Jerry and Bobby across the table. He looked at Bobby, warily. "Its okay, Bobby. We don't gotta talk about this right now. Me and Jerry will talk about it later. Right?" He looked over at Jerry, who visibly relaxed and nodded. "Okay. I don't need you guys starting shit right now. I'm just happy to be home."

"We're all happy you're home," Jerry said, clapping Angel on the shoulder. "It's just been...tense around here lately."

"No shit," Bobby mumbled.

"Yeah, I figured that much out," Angel said, finishing his beer. They sat in silence for a moment, drinking thoughtfully, when Angel spoke again. "What's with that Jack kid, anyway?"

"What about him?" Bobby's chair was suddenly back down on all four legs and he was leaning forward on the table. Angel shook his head.

"Man, he seems a little off, don't you think?" he asked, chuckling. Bobby didn't laugh.

"No, I don't, actually," Bobby said, his tone challenging. "I think he's okay."

"Whatever," Angel said, shrugging. "Foster home?"

"Kind of," Bobby's tone was calmer now, believing that Angel wasn't going to verbally attack Jack. "He ran away. I think some bad shit went on at his last home. I got a weird feeling about his foster father. He was ditched from a home, too. Kid's been through the works."

Angel nodded, eyes narrowing. "Uh huh. And how do you know this?'

"I asked."

"And why do you care?"

Bobby looked taken aback. "What?"

"You've never been mister charity case, Bobby," Angel stated. "It's not like you to start takin' interest in random street kids. It's not really like you to take interest in kids at all. How old is he anyway?"

"Sixteen," Bobby's voice was suddenly low. "And why the hell do you care who I take interest in? It's not like you've been around for him to bother."

"Right, I've been fightin' in Iraq, which obviously makes me not a part of our family's concerns anymore."

"Angel, stop it," Jerry cut in before the argument escalated further. "No one's trying to exclude you. Bobby's just..." He glanced over at Bobby, who wasn't looking at either of them directly, "...a little irritable lately."

"I'm not irritable," Bobby argued. Angel laughed, and Bobby glared at him. "You're the one who's flippin' out because I'm not telling you every little detail of my life since you've been gone."

"I'm not _askin'_ for every detail of your life." Angel's laugher was gone, and his voice was low and warning. "I just think it's a little off that you're goin' around befriending sixteen year olds you don't even know."

"I do know him."

"Right," Angel snapped sarcastically. "What's his last name?"

"Stop it," Jerry raised his voice now, and his palms were flat against the table, his face serious and tense. "Both of you, this is ridiculous. Angel just got home, and you two are already at each other's throats. Can we please just talk about something that's not gonna make anyone angry?"

There was a long pause, where the two brothers glared at each other. Then, Angel looked back at Jerry. "I proposed to Sofi."

Jerry was about to congratulate him, when a loud snort from the other side of the table caught their attention. Bobby was doubled over in his chair, looking to be caught up in a bout of uncontrollable laughter.

"What's so goddamn funny about that?" Angel growled. Jerry rested his forehead in his hand. _Bad choice, Angel._ Bobby continued to laugh.

"Ah, fuck, Angel, that's hilarious," he gasped, wiping moisture from his eyes. "Really, that's great. I can just hear it now. 'Si, si Angel! Mi amor, muy bien!' That must have been a really good reunion fuck for you to propose."

"Shut _up_, Bobby," Jerry snarled, but Bobby ignored him. Angel looked about ready to jump across the table.

"So you_ did_ go see La Vida Loca before your own brother," Bobby continued, the laughter dying and replaced with biting sarcasm. "I see how it is, now. 'Oh Bobby, you're excluding me. Oh Bobby, you don't tell me anything.' Maybe it's because you've been..."

"Bobby, stop it!" Jerry's voice kept rising with everyone else's, but no one paid attention.

"I went home to look for you and you weren't there," Angel shot back, leaning forward, his eyes shining dangerously. "You were too busy hangin' out with your new friend..."

"Angel! Please, you two!"

"Oh, and I'm just supposed to guess when you're comin' home? I'm supposed to sit by the door waiting for you to walk through it? Thanks, Angel, but I have better things to do with my time!"

"Bobby..."

"I see you were concerned while I was over fighting a war..."

"Ang..."

"Oh, that's great, Angel, just use that to..."

"ENOUGH!" Jerry's furious voice rang throughout the room, bouncing off the walls and drawing everyone's attention over to their table. He stood up, grabbing his coat from the back of the chair and putting it on. "I've _had_ it with you two! You guys obviously have some family issues to work out, so I'm gonna let you work them out. Let me know when you figure out whatever's up your asses, and I'll come back around."

"What about the food?" Bobby asked as Jerry turned to leave.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Jerry retorted, continuing to walk out the door.

"Jerry, wait," Angel said, at the same time Bobby yelled, "Jer, come on!"

The door slammed in their faces as Jerry exited the bar, leaving Angel and Bobby sitting at the table together, refusing to look at each other. They remained silent for a few moments, both looking at their hands, the table, their drinks, anything but each other.

"You hungry?" Angel asked finally, resting his hands on the table.

"Nope," Bobby shook his head. "Wanna go home?"

"Yeah."

* * *

When Angel and Bobby arrived back at the Mercer home, after a long and silent car ride, Jack was sitting on the front porch next to his backpack, holding a book in his arms and shivering. He was tracing patterns in the snow with his foot, but when he saw Bobby, shot up and hurried towards him. 

"Hey, Jack," Bobby mumbled, his voice weary and exhausted. "Listen, I know I said we needed to talk..."

"I've got something I need to talk about, now," Jack said, wrapping his arms tighter around the book. He opened his mouth to continue, but Angel pushed past them, making a noise in the back of his throat as he bumped Jack's shoulder. Jack looked back at him, then up at Bobby curiously. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing," Bobby said, his hands buried in his pockets. "We had a little argument. I'm really tired right now..."

"I just have something to show you." Jack didn't let that deter his excitement. He opened the book in his arms, his hands shaking from the cold, and searched for the page he wanted. "Just real quick..."

"Jack," Bobby began, shaking his head. "I'm not gonna lie, I'm not in the mood right now, okay? Just...whatever you have to show me...can it wait until tomorrow?"

"Oh." Jack's face fell. He shut the book, wrapping it back up in his arms. "Oh, yeah, sure. That's fine."

"Okay. Thanks, bud," he said, starting to walk past Jack and into the house. He stopped, looking more closely at the younger man. "You're shivering."

"I'm fine."

"It's cold."

"Not really."

Bobby sighed. "Get in the house. It's supposed to snow tonight." He turned around, walking back towards the house, and Jack followed reluctantly, grabbing his backpack on the way. Whatever problems Bobby and Angel were having, he didn't want to make it worse. He knew Bobby wouldn't let him sleep in the street, though.

When they entered the house, Bobby didn't say a word to Evelyn, who was knitting at the kitchen table. He went straight to his room, shutting the door behind him. Evelyn looked up at Jack, who was standing in the doorway, not knowing what to do in the Mercer home when Bobby wasn't around.

"Well, hello, Jack," Evelyn greeted, standing up from the kitchen table and walking over to him. "How are you, dear?"

"Oh, I'm okay," Jack said, smiling at Evelyn. "I'm just tired. Really tired. Bobby said...he said that I could, um...stay here, again?"

"Of course, sweetheart!" Evelyn exclaimed, and Jack exhaled in relief. "You're always welcome here. You remember where Matt's old room is?"

"Yes, thank you," Jack said politely. "I think I'm just gonna go to bed."

"That's fine," she said, smiling warmly. "Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight," he replied, exiting the kitchen and making his way up the stairs and towards the room he'd slept in the previous night. When he pushed open the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and jumped. Turning around, he found Angel standing behind him, frowning.

"What are you doin' here?" Angel asked, skepticism unmasked in his voice.

"Um, Bobby said I could stay," Jack mumbled, not looking Angel in the eye. "Is that okay?"

Angel shrugged. "Whatever. Bobby's word is law. Apparently he likes you, I guess I'm supposed to like you, too."

Jack stayed silent, not knowing how to respond. Angel continued.

"Just, do me a favor, okay kid?"

"Okay." Jack tried to sound confident.

"Don't get too close to Bobby," Angel said. "He's not the great guy you probably think he is. He gets himself into trouble, and he ain't around a whole lot. I see the way you look at him, like he's you're damn idol or somethin'. And that's great...until he leaves. Or until he loses interest. Just...watch out for that, okay?"

"Okay." Jack didn't seem to be able to say anything else. He was shocked by Angel's words, and even angry at what they were implying. _Saying that about his own brother..._

"Okay." Angel turned around, going down the stairs. "Night."

Jack didn't bother to respond. He closed the door and tossed the book and the backpack down on the floor, sinking into the bed. He didn't fall asleep immediately, like last time. Instead, he stayed awake, thinking. Thinking about the book, about Angel's words...

_Don't get too close_, he'd said. Jack winced.

_Too late.

* * *

_

**Rogue21493:** Yay! I'm glad you liked it. I love writing the brothers teasing each other. I always wanted brothers...never got any. Oh well. Updates soon!

**Ebz:** I know Maria was in Friday Night Lights, also, although I'm not too sure about Anna...Maria was the girl with Garrett Hedlund's character, correct? Lucky girl...To answer your question, in my story, Bobby and Angel are brothers, both adopted by Evelyn, and Jerry is Bobby's best friend from high school. Next chapter coming soon!

**Eva Deanna: **Maybe they could go at it for a whole hour...there are two of them...maybe :) (shrug). Yay for brotherly (or in this case, best friend-ly) banter. And I agree, Mark Wahlberg has a wonderful ass. Good luck on finals, glad you liked it, and more updates soon!

**Sparks Diamond:** Thank you, glad you liked it! More updates to come!

**Ophelia Hyde:** Oh, please, don't apologize! I just love the fact that I get reviews in the first place, I couldn't care less when they come! And I do love your crazy reviews, they keep me smiling :) . I'm glad you think the interaction was realistic, and as for the trippy alternate universe thing, you got your first hints this chapter! Ah, Chad, such a character I've created...Chad is, indeed supposed to be a little...off. You'll see why later. I'm glad you liked it! And stop calling your work rubbish, because it is not, and I will stop answering your reviews if you keep saying that (okay, so I won't, but you understand the threat!) Updating soon!


	7. In Which Things Are Revealed

AN: Wow, you guys! Thank you so much for your reviews for last chapter! They were awesome, and amazing, and there were so many of them! I'm really glad to know that you guys are enjoying this story, and that you're intrigued about what's going to happen next. I also hope you all had a Merry Christmas! Here's the next chapter, were the real juicy stuff begins. Thanks again! You guys make this story so much fun to write!

* * *

"Cracker Jack." 

Jack moaned, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow as Bobby's voice penetrated his sleep. Without opening his eyes, he was aware of two things. Firstly, he knew that it was _way_ too early to be awake. His eyelids were still heavy, staying closed easily without any help or protest. Accordingly, there was very little sunlight pressing against the comforting darkness his closed eyes created. Secondly, he knew that Bobby was sitting on the edge of the bed, poking him in the arm, very awake and enjoying himself far too much.

"Jackie. Wake up."

"No." His head remained in the pillow as he tried to ignore Bobby's presence and will himself back to sleep.

"Yes. Get up."

"_Why_?" Jack realized that he was whining. He was not a morning person, by any means, and he didn't care who knew it.

"Because, it's time to get up." Bobby poked him with enough force that he actually lifted his head out of the darkness, propping himself up on his elbows and opening his eyes, blinking wearily up at Bobby. Bobby chuckled, ruffling Jack's already messy hair as his tired eyes wandered around the room, resting on a clock in the far corner. "Aren't you a sore sight in the morning?"

"Are you insane?" Jack dropped himself back into the pillow, closing his eyes again. "It's six in the morning. It is_ not_ time to get up."

"Yes, it is," Bobby insisted, pulling the blanket off of Jack's body and throwing it across the room. Jack curled up in response, his legs folding and his arms wrapping around his chest. "Come on. Up."

"No."

"_Up."_

"Go away."

"Not a chance."

Suddenly something hard and heavy smacked against Jack's arm, and he shot up into a sitting position, rubbing the offended body part and glaring at Bobby. "Fuck, Bobby, that hurt."

"Got your attention, didn't it?" Bobby laughed, watching as Jack leaned against the headboard, letting his head fall back limply. "Mornin', sweetheart."

"Shut up," Jack mumbled without much anger, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Can I ask why you're waking me up at six in the morning?"

Bobby shrugged, still grinning. "It looked like fun. And you said you wanted to talk last night. So let's talk."

"I didn't say I wanted to wake up at six and talk." Jack moved to lie down, but Bobby pushed him back up. "What? You didn't wanna talk last night, anyway."

"Well, I do now."

"About what?"

"About this." Bobby held up a book in his hand, the one with which he'd hit Jack in the arm. Jack mentally read the title, feeling his stomach start to churn. _Oh great..._

"_Parallel Universes and Alternate Realities," _Bobby read aloud, looking back at Jack with raised eyebrows. "What is this shit?"

"It's nothing." Jack kept his eyes down, watching his own hands toy idly with the edge of the pillow.

"It sure seemed like something last night," Bobby said, placing the book back down into Jack's line of vision. "You said you wanted to talk about it then. Why wouldn't you wanna talk about it now?"

"Because, it's nothing," Jack repeated, not looking at the book. Yesterday, the concept had seemed completely plausible. But now, this morning, with a clear head and after a night to sleep on it, it seemed like nothing more than a ridiculously fantasy. And what was he supposed to say to Bobby? _Hey, remember those weird feelings we've been having? Well, I think it's because..._

"That's not true," Bobby's voice was stern, almost demanding. "Tell me what this is, Jack."

"Forget it, you'll think it's stupid," Jack shrugged unconvincingly, knowing there was really no way to avoid the situation if Bobby wasn't going to let it go.

"Try me," Bobby said resolutely, and Jack looked up into his eyes. He seemed completely serious. _Might as well go for it._

"Well," Jack began, taking a deep breath and trying to recall the way he felt yesterday, when he'd found the book. "I was at the library, and I just...found this book. I wasn't looking for it, I wasn't even looking for _anything_, it just kind of...jumped out at me. So I started reading it, and it said some pretty crazy stuff, but I kind of believed it, because I thought about...about the stuff that's been goin' on...with you and me and...it made sense at the time..."

"Whoa, Jack," Bobby said, holding out a hand to stop him, not able to prevent the amusement from creeping into his voice at Jack's fragmented speech. "You're not making any sense. What are you talking about?"

"Here." Jack grabbed the book, flipping through the pages until he found the chapter he was looking for. He held it out to Bobby, who took it skeptically, shooting Jack a wary glance. "Just read it."

"Okay," Bobby said, giving Jack another doubtful look before reading aloud, almost mechanically. "_Parallel Universes. How the decisions you make and don't make..."_

"...affect the world around you and the worlds of others," Jack finished for him, reciting the title of the chapter by memory. Bobby looked up from the page, shrugging.

"I don't get it," he said, glancing back down at the book. "What's this all about?"

"Well," Jack started, his hands starting to wring nervously. He knew there was no way that Bobby was going to believe this. "Basically, what the book says is that when we make a decision, the choice we _don't _make creates another...universe...I guess. Where your life kind of...happens differently...or something."

Bobby stared at him blankly. "_What?_"

Jack shook his head. He was going to have to approach this from a different angle. "Okay, you decided to become a hockey player, right?"

Bobby snorted in amusement. "You make it sound like I'm a damn professional."

"Fine, whatever, you decided to play hockey one day, right?" Jack asked, and Bobby nodded, uncertainty still clear in his eyes. "So, let's say, that day you decided to play hockey...you didn't. You never decided to play hockey. You never touched a stick, a puck, a pair of skates...nothing."

"I wouldn't have done that."

"Let's just pretend you did."

"But I wouldn't..."

"Bobby, _please_," Jack was starting to get exasperated. "Just...work with me here, okay? If you had never decided to play hockey, your life would have turned out a little differently, right?"

"You could say that," Bobby said, shrugging again. "So...what? Where's this going?"

"Well, this book is saying that...somewhere," Jack paused, not knowing how to continue without making himself sound like a complete lunatic. "Somewhere...there's another...another universe, and another...you...another Bobby...not playing hockey, and living your life as if you'd never played hockey before." He stopped and looked up at Bobby, who continued to stare at him, his expression unreadable. Jack continued, looking back down at the book. "So maybe, someone...you or me, I guess...made some decision somewhere along the line, and there's another universe created out of that decision...out of the choice we didn't make...where we're...friends, maybe. Or relatives. Or...or something. And maybe that universe...and our universe...are kind of...crossing over."

Jack took a deep breath, his chest feeling lighter now that he'd said all of that. He looked back at Bobby, who was still staring at him in complete silence, making him feel a little uneasy. He wanted Bobby to say something...anything...to indicate that he understood what Jack was saying. Something..._anything_...

Suddenly, Bobby burst into a fit of laughter, startling Jack so much that he jumped back.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Bobby choked out, shaking his head. "This is nuts. Absolutely insane, Jack. This is a joke, it has to be."

"It's not," Jack said, watching Bobby laugh and feeling a little hurt. Bobby had asked him what the book was about, and Jack had been honest with him, no matter how crazy it seemed...and now Bobby was making fun of him.

Bobby, realizing that Jack wasn't smiling and definitely wasn't joking, suddenly made a drastic effort to control his laugher. He looked at Jack, bewildered, his head titled slightly to the side, letting one last chuckle escape his throat. "You're serious? You can't be serious."

"I am." Jack was looking back down at his hands now, feeling a blush creep across his neck and cheeks. It was ridiculous, he knew it, but it felt so right last night. He was hoping, on an off chance, that it would feel right to Bobby, too. _Apparently not._

"Jackie," Bobby said, his tone chastising, like that of a parent who'd just caught their kid telling a lie. "You can't tell me you believe any of that shit. This entire thing," he picked up the book for emphasis, "is just one big elaborate product of someone's crazy, twisted, overactive imagination. This isn't real. Why would you think this is real?"

"It felt real," Jack mumbled, his face feeling even hotter than before. He didn't like being criticized. "It felt...right. It sounded crazy, but it felt...I don't know, like I should pay more attention to it."

Bobby shook his head. "Sometimes feelings are just that, Jack. Feelings. Not anything special, okay? Maybe...I don't know, you're turning into a sci-fi nerd or something, and that's why you freaked out about this book. But you can't take every feeling you have and act on it and think it's a hundred percent fact. I should know...sometimes, doing that can get you in a lot of trouble."

"Okay..." Jack was suddenly confused. "You're saying that I shouldn't trust these feelings. Then what's so special about my feeling like I know you? And when you feel like you know me...why don't you just blow that off, too?"

"I'm not blowing anything off," Bobby said adamantly. "I want to figure out what's goin' on as much as you do, but I'm not gonna go around and make up stories and theories about it, saying that some crazy alternate parallel reality shit is the reason why we're suddenly more familiar than we should be." He paused, shaking his head. "I trust myself to decide which feelings are worth looking after."

"So do I," Jack had more conviction in his voice, feeling the embarrassment seep away as his argument strengthened. "Believe me, I've gotten myself out of a lot of...situations...because of instinct. Because of feelings. And I know it sounds crazy, but I _trust_ my feelings about this book." He paused for a minute, looking at Bobby with searching eyes. He voice softened. "Why don't you?"

Bobby sighed. "It's not that I don't trust you, Jack. It's just...it's not realistic, okay? I mean, you make a million decisions every day. So...so you're sayin' that because, one morning I woke up and decided to have toast instead of bacon, or milk instead of orange juice, or to put my left shoe on first instead of my right shoe...you're sayin' that _every _one of those decisions creates some kind of parallel reality universe thing?"

Jack shrugged half-heartedly, looking back down at the pillow, where his hands were pulling at a few loose strings. "Maybe."

"I'm sorry, it's just doesn't make sense," Bobby replied, in a tone that said _this conversation is over._ "I just don't believe it. So either you can keep tellin' yourself that this crap is true, or you can forget about it and we can work on figuring it out together." He searched for Jack's eyes, trying to catch his gaze while Jack continued to stare at the bed. "Okay?"

Jack nodded, knowing that a further argument would only upset Bobby, and only make him feel worse. "Okay."

"Okay," Bobby repeated, patting Jack once on the leg. "Enough of this. I owe you a hockey game and a McDonald's run, don't I?"

"Whatever," Jack murmured, keeping his head down to hide the sudden glint of happiness in his eyes. He tried to sound nonchalant, but in reality, he was ecstatic that Bobby had remembered the hockey game. "Doesn't matter to me."

"Alright, that's gotta stop," Bobby said, suddenly standing up and looking back down at Jack. "Look at me." He waited until Jack's eyes met his, and continued. "We're gonna stop this 'I don't care' bullshit right now. You're gonna to learn to make decisions."

"I do make decisions," Jack said defensively, sitting up a little straighter. Bobby just rolled his eyes.

"Right, like when you made the decision to lie to me about where you live, that was a good one." Bobby's tone remained teasing, even though his message rang clear. "And the decision you made about not eating when you were really starving the other day? That was a good one, too. Oh, and when you decided to..."

"Where's this going?"

"If you want something," Bobby leaned down, surprising Jack and grabbing him by the shoulders, shaking him slightly, "ask for it. Say it. For Christ's sake, _assert_ yourself. Do you want to play hockey?"

"Yes," Jack nodded.

"Do you want to go to McDonald's?"

Jack smirked. "Not really."

Bobby grinned, releasing Jack's shoulders and standing straight again. "There ya go. Where do you wanna go, then? Burger King?"

"Not really..." Jack looked up, pretending to be in deep thought. "Wendy's?"

Bobby shook his head, heading towards the hallway. "Sorry, kiddo, you can assert yourself all you want, but I'm not goin' to Wendy's. McDonald's in ten minutes, get dressed."

"Ass," Jack mumbled, forcing himself out of bed and stretching. Bobby just flipped him off and closed the door.

* * *

Jack couldn't refrain from smiling as he unlaced his skates, a flush of red coloring his cheeks from the amount energy pumping through his veins. Playing hockey with Bobby and his friends had been the most exhilarating thing he'd done in months, and he couldn't remember having that much fun in a very long time. True, Bobby's skates were a little too big, and his hockey stick felt awkward in Jack's hands at first, but after a couple of minutes Jack had been too absorbed in the game to care. The only time he'd felt an adrenaline rush like that was when he was on stage, and even that was beginning to pale in comparison. 

"Hey, slowpoke." Bobby pushed himself up onto the picnic table where Jack sat, nudging Jack's skate with his own foot. Jack noticed that Bobby had already changed into his tennis shoes. "About done there?"

"Almost," Jack said, finishing with the laces on his right skate and moving to the left one. He heard Bobby chuckle at him softly, and he looked up, still smiling. "What?"

"Nothing." Bobby shook his head, grinning. He rested his arms on his knees, watching Jack unlace his other skate. "You looked like you were havin' fun out there."

"I was," Jack nodded, slipping off his skates as Bobby reached over to grab his shoes. "I haven't played hockey in so long."

"Yeah, it shows," Bobby teased, handing Jack his shoes. Jack took them, sticking his tongue out at Bobby, who shoved his arm lightly in response. "No, really, you weren't that bad. A little rusty, nothin' we can't fix."

Jack beamed. To him, that sounded like a promise of hockey games to come. "Oh yeah? I don't think I looked too rusty when I checked you into the fence."

"You think that was a check? That wasn't a check...remind me to teach you how to hit like a real man, not like a..."

"_Don't_," Jack interjected, glaring mockingly at Bobby as he started to tie his shoes. "Don't even say it."

"Say what?" Bobby feigned innocence as Jack shook his head. "I wasn't gonna say anything. Jesus, kid, you're fuckin' paranoid."

"Bobby..." Jack warned.

Bobby just shook his head, mumbling under his breath, "Fuckin' fairy."

"Alright, that's it!" Jack was up on his feet on top of the table, pushing Bobby's arm with his foot, throwing his hands up in the air in an exaggerated manner. "Come on, Mercer, show me what you got!"

Bobby snorted, staying seated and looking up at Jack with amusement. "You're fuckin' insane. Hyper as shit, I'm tellin' ya."

Jack laughed loudly, dropping back down next to Bobby and running a hand through his tousled hair. "Man...I feel like I could run a marathon."

"You should have come with a warning label, Jackie," Bobby smiled as he watched Jack breathe heavily through his mouth, his eyes following the wisps of condensation that resulted. "Do not expose to physical activity. Side effects include general weirdness and a crazy adrenaline rush."

Jack sighed, taking a deep breath of the cold winter air and looking around contently. "I could stay out here forever."

"We don't gotta go yet," Bobby said, but he wasn't grinning anymore. His sudden change in demeanor made Jack slightly nervous. "We could stay out here and talk."

Jack nodded, looking down at his feet. The energy rushing through him made the forthcoming discussion seem less daunting than before. "Okay. What do you wanna talk about?"

Bobby shrugged. "Whatever you want to talk about. Whatever you...need to talk about."

"I don't _need_ to talk about anything," Jack said huffily. "You're the one who wanted to talk in the first place."

Bobby nodded. "I see how it is. I get to call the shots." He paused for a minute, thinking. "Okay. Let's just start from the beginning."

"The beginning of what?"

"Of you," Bobby said, and Jack looked at him like he was crazy. "You know, where you came from and shit. I figure if we talk about it now, we can avoid more of those weird feelings later."

"Okay," Jack took another big breath, trying to decide where to begin. He was flattered that Bobby wanted to know more about him, about his past, but...his past wasn't a pleasant one. "Well, I grew up without a mom or dad. I don't know what happened to them, if they're dead or just didn't want me or couldn't take care of me...but I moved around a lot. Group homes, sometimes...or I'd stay a month here, a couple of weeks there, you know how it is."

"I do," Bobby confirmed. "Welcome to my childhood."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. That's how it was until I was about ten. I'd never really been placed in one home for too long, and no one had really offered to adopt...I had some people offer to take me in when I was young, as sort of a...trial run. To see if they wanted to adopt me, I guess." He laughed bitterly at the thought. "Anyway, for whatever reason, they always fell through. But when I was ten, this family...the Robinsons...they took me in. Me and Chad."

"The bassist?"

"Yeah," Jack continued. "We'd both grown up in group homes, so when this couple said they wanted two kids, our social workers planned it out so we could go together. It was a pretty good deal for a while. I'm not really sure how long they kept me...long enough for me to think it was permanent, I know that much." He paused for a minute, kicking at the leg of the table, his faced twisted in thought, in remembrance. "But the Robinsons...they worked a lot. Business trips and all that shit. And Chad...he was almost sixteen then, and raising a ten year old...well, it just wasn't working out for them."

"Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson," Bobby said sarcastically, and Jack couldn't help but chuckle at that, even though there were traces of moisture in his eyes. He left out some details, like how much he'd liked the Robinsons, how much he'd wanted to be Chad's brother, how much it hurt when he was told he wasn't wanted anymore...

"So Chad became a full fledged Robinson, while I got shipped back to group homes and one-weekers," Jack continued, sighing regretfully. He looked up at Bobby, suddenly not wanting to finish his story. He didn't like what came next. "What about you?"

Bobby raised an eyebrow, his expression clearly stating _I know you're not done there. _But he ignored Jack's attempt to dodge the subject and began his own story.

"Well, it's pretty much the same at the beginning...shitty group homes and a bunch of bullshit people who think they're doing the community a service by takin' in kids for a week and then dumping them back where they found them." Jack was surprised at the amount of anger in Bobby's voice. He speculated that Bobby didn't talk much about his childhood. "I grew up pissed, and stayed pissed, and landed myself in trouble more times than I can remember. People would try and take me in, thinkin' they're fuckin' saints because they're rescuing the poor little misguided orphan child." Bobby chuckled, although Jack noticed the lack of actual humor in his laugh. "I just made their lives a living hell until they got rid of me."

Bobby paused, with a little grin that Jack realized was sincere. "I was...thirteen, I guess...when Evelyn found me. Took me in straight away, and refused to let me go, no matter what kind of shit I did. Told me she was gonna help me or die tryin'...I always thought she'd die before I calmed down...guess I was wrong."

"I spent the next year and a half actually tryin' to stay out of trouble," Bobby continued. "I let it slip to Ma that I'd always wanted brothers...three brothers to be exact." When Jack looked at him quizzically, Bobby just shrugged. "It just seemed like a good number, four of us in all. Four brothers. Anyway, she promised me she'd get me some brothers if she could. I was fifteen when she told me she had this kid in mind...younger than me, so I'd have to help take care of him. I was all for it, ready to seal the deal...until I got mixed up with some bad people, got in trouble with the cops. Ma asked how I was supposed to take care of a little brother when I couldn't even take care of myself."

"So you didn't get a brother?" Jack asked, feeling a sudden wave of pity for Bobby. He'd always wanted a brother, too, and never got one.

Bobby shook his head, continuing to look straight ahead, not really focusing on anything. "Nope. When I was seventeen we were gonna try again, with a kid a little older, only two years younger than me. Someone adopted him straight away, though, before we even had a chance. By that point I was so pissed off that I didn't even want a brother anymore. Ma started takin' in kids for a while, but they'd always get adopted in the end. Angel was the only one who stayed...he was too quiet for everyone except Ma. I was nineteen by that time...and I wasn't around much then." The last sentence was delivered with a definite air of regret. "Thought I was a big shot, was gonna make somethin' of myself." He snorted sarcastically. "Look where that got me."

Jack remained silent, watching Bobby's expressions change. He went from regretful, to pissed off, to sarcastic in a matter of seconds, and it made Jack dizzy. "How'd you end up back here?"

Bobby shrugged, rubbing his hands together. He'd almost forgotten for a moment that they were outside, and the winter chill was beginning to get to him, the energy from their hockey game wearing off. "I worked my way through Chicago for a while, fixing cars here, bartending there, same shit, different day. In the end, I just got tired of it, ran out of money, and moved back here." The corners of his mouth turned upwards in a slight smile. "Kind of sad, to be 25 and livin' with your mom."

"Nah," Jack protested, making a quick mental note of Bobby's age. "It's more pathetic to be sixteen and living on the streets."

"Not pathetic," Bobby corrected, blowing air into his hands for warmth. "Not if there's a reason." He paused, looking at Jack pointedly. Jack felt a shiver go up his spine, not solely from the chill. "You cold? You wanna go back now?"

"No," Jack shook his head adamantly. He knew he needed to talk about this, and now was the first time he'd ever been willing...or at least semi-willing...to say anything to anyone about it. He'd never told anyone, not even Chad. "No, I wanna stay."

"Okay," Bobby agreed. "So...you're not finished, then."

It wasn't really a question, but Jack shook his head anyway. "I moved in with John Davis and his girlfriend, Shannon, when I was thirteen..."

"Jack, wait," Bobby's voice was suddenly hesitant, cautious. He leaned forward a little, making sure that Jack was looking at him. "I'm not tryin' to push you into doing something you don't wanna. I know I kept asking about him, but if you really don't..."

"No, I do!" Jack raised his voice, suddenly frantic that Bobby was going to make him stop. He _needed_ to tell someone about this, as much as he denied it earlier. Something about today made him feel more at ease with Bobby than with anyone else he'd ever met, and if he stopped now, he might never get the chance again. "No...really, I can. If you...if you want to know, I can tell you."

Bobby nodded, brows furrowed at Jack's sudden outburst. "Okay, Jackie, okay. Whatever you want to tell me, I'm listenin'."

"Okay," Jack breathed, momentarily relieved before he started to feel nauseous again. It seemed like such an overwhelming task, telling someone about his past. He'd always just kept it to himself, not wanting to create an awkward situation...or at least, that's what he told himself. In reality, Jack didn't exactly know why he'd never told anybody. He'd just never wanted to say it out loud. _Maybe because it made it less real, that way..._

"Shannon left John a couple months after I got there, saying that she didn't want the responsibility of taking care of a child...of me...anymore," Jack said, not knowing where else to begin. "She was...wild, I guess. She wanted a kid to prove that she could be responsible, but after awhile she just...took off. Couldn't handle the pressure."

"Shouldn't have taken it out on you," Bobby's voice was low, threatening. "She used a fuckin' kid as a damn experiment in responsibility."

"Whatever, it doesn't matter," Jack mumbled, but Bobby's words made him realize how much it _had_ hurt. Shannon definitely hadn't been the first person to not want him, to give him up after a so called "test run." "Mattered to John, though. He started drinking, a lot...and yelling. Saying that I was worthless, that he never wanted me in the first place, that it was my fault that Shannon left..."

"It wasn't," Bobby cut in sharply. "It wasn't your fuckin' fault."

"I know," Jack responded, although he couldn't help but admit that it felt nice to hear someone say those words. _It's not your fault._ He could probably count the number of times someone had said that to him on one hand...perhaps on one finger. "Still made me feel like shit. I'd almost rather have the beatings...almost."

He paused for a minute, composing himself. He realized his hands were beginning to shake. "I was fourteen when they started. One night he just came upstairs and started beating the shit out of me...with a belt, with his hands, sometimes with a bottle of whatever alcohol he'd just finished. Anything he could find, really. He'd fuck me up until he passed out or I passed out, whichever came first. Kept tellin' me that I deserved it, that I was..."

"You _didn't_ deserve it." Bobby was practically growling by this point. His hands were clenched together tightly, the whites of his knuckles standing out, and his face was contorted with anger.

"Yeah, well...whatever," Jack said, not trusting himself to say anymore because of the tears that were welling up in his eyes. He was partly touched by Bobby's reaction...he'd never had anyone become so protective of him. On the other hand, he was scared shitless of what he was about to tell Bobby. "That went on, for a while. I never...I never knew what to do. I felt like I was trapped. I couldn't run away, live on the streets at fourteen. I didn't want to tell my social worker, he'd stick me back in a group home and I'd never get adopted, with how old I was. So I stayed."

"And then," Jack took a deep breath, suddenly feeling the cold air for the first time. He started to shiver as he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep warm and to keep from shaking too much. He wanted desperately to be back in bed, curled up under the blankets, asleep. This was too much... "And then, they stopped. The beatings just stopped, all together. No more yelling, no more...no more anything. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was too good to be true." Jack looked down, feeling another tremor pass through him. "And it was," he whispered, not daring to look at Bobby. His stomach churned, a lump forming in his throat.

"Jack..." Bobby began, his voice suddenly filled with apprehension...and maybe a trace of fear, if Jack detected correctly. "Jack...what happened?"

Jack's vision blurred, and he refused to look up, suddenly embarrassed. What was Bobby going to think of him? His heart began to beat frantically in his chest, and even though the air was cold, his palms were beginning to sweat. _Is he going to think that I'm pathetic, not being able to stop it? Is he going to think I'm disgusting, that I let it happen? Is he going to hate me? _

"Jack," Bobby cut through his thoughts, and Jack wiped at his eyes with a shaking hand. "Are you okay? Just...what happened, Jack?"

"I didn't want him to, I swear," Jack began, his shaking voice pleading. His hands were trembling almost uncontrollably now, and the lump in his throat was making it hard to breathe. "He just told me...just told me to..." He took a deep, hiccupping breath, struggling to get air into his lungs, his chest heaving.

Bobby rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to get Jack to look at him. "Jack, listen...breathe, man. It's okay. You don't have to..."

"No, I _do_ have to!" Jack almost yelled, still keeping his eyes locked on the ground. He took another frantic breath. He _had _to say this...he'd explode if he didn't. But Bobby...he didn't want Bobby to leave, to hate him. "Please, I can't...I don't...I didn't know..."

"Didn't know what?" Bobby asked gently. When Jack didn't answer right away, he nudged his shoulder a little. "Jackie? Didn't know what?"

"He just told me to...to take off my clothes...and when I asked why...he said...he said..." Jack took a big, gulping breath, wiping his eyes again. "He said...it was because he...loved me. Too much. He loved me too much. He said he couldn't...he couldn't...he said he loved me more...more than a father loves a son. He said he had to! He made me! I didn't know!"

Bobby remained silent for a moment, Jack trembling next to him, his breath coming in barely contained sobs. Then suddenly, he was up off the picnic table, his back to Jack, his fists clenched at his sides. "Fuck..." His voice was filled with anger.

"Bobby," Jack couldn't stop the tears that were trailing down his face. His nose was beginning to run, but he found he couldn't do anything about it. He was frozen in place, watching Bobby's back, pleading mentally that he would just stay...that he would understand, that Jack could make him understand. "Bobby, please...you have to...you have to..."

"Fuck!" Bobby yelled, his head titled up towards the sky. Jack suddenly noticed that it had started to snow, light flurries fluttering down from the gray clouds above. "Goddamn it..."

"I'm sorry," Jack whispered, not even trying to stop the sob that followed. His chest hurt, the lump in his throat feeling like it was going to explode while the knot in his stomach twisted tightly. He gasped, shaking hands covering his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"No, Jack! No," Bobby was suddenly at his side again, arm wrapped tightly around his shoulders. Jack felt Bobby's hand run up and down his arm slowly. "Don't you fuckin' apologize. You have _nothing_ to be sorry for. Nothing. Do you hear me?"

Jack shook his head, sniffling. "No, no, I'm sorry. You're mad, and I'm sorry..."

"Jack...fuck, no!" Bobby suddenly grabbed his wrists, removing his hands from his eyes. Jack looked away immediately, but Bobby grabbed his chin and forced their eyes to meet. "Listen to me. Look at me and listen." Jack stared at Bobby, his breath still hitching every so often. Bobby's hand was still gripping his chin, but his eyes were soft. "I'm not mad at you. I will never be mad at you for something like that...for something that _pervert_ did to you."

"But you're mad," Jack observed, his voice sounding like that of a frightened child. Bobby nodded, letting go of his chin.

"I'm fuckin' mad as hell," Bobby said, but although his words were harsh, his voice was calm. "At _him_...I'm fuckin' more than mad at him. But not at you. _Never_ at you."

Jack nodded, wiping his eyes. He hunched his shoulders against the wind, shivering. "I got out, as soon as I could. But I couldn't...he wouldn't let me..."

"I know, Jackie, I know." Bobby rested his hand on Jack's back, feeling him tremble from the cold. "You're freezing, kid. Wanna go back to the house?"

Jack nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, the lump dissipating and his stomach beginning to settle. When he opened his eyes, Bobby was still there, watching him. "Yeah," he breathed, wanting nothing more that to just curl up on Bobby's couch with a blanket and sleep.

"Alright," Bobby said, standing. He grabbed Jack's skates and carried them to the car, Jack following close behind, wiping at his eyes to clear any remaining moisture. Bobby opened the car door, throwing the skates in the back seat with the rest of the gear he'd loaded before sitting down to talk with Jack. He dropped himself heavily into the driver's seat, resting his head back against the headrest wearily. When Jack slammed the passenger's side door shut, he looked over. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jack's voice was only slightly above a whisper, but relief shone on his face. He gave Bobby a little smile. "I will be now."

* * *

**Dicefreak:** Thank you very much, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Poor Jack...how I torture him, making him think he's not worthy and such ;( We'll have to fix that later. That's such a compliment, saying that this is the best Four Brothers fic you've read! Thank you very much, but I'm sure there's definitely stories out there better than mine. I'm glad that you're intrigued about Chad...I was really apprehensive about writing an OC, but I think I'm okay with it now. Thanks for reading! 

**GavinVenom: **Thank you! I'm glad I didn't wait to post the after Christmas, as well, because then I wouldn't have had as much motivation to write the next chapters. I know how hard it is to wait for the next chapter of a story to get posted, so thank's for being patient!

**Rogue21493:** Yay! I'm glad everyone is making theories about what's going to happen! I can't wait for you to see what really happens, and to see if you're right! Oh my, but Garrett does have a cute ass...possibly the best addition to the movie. I am envious that you have that picture. I hope you had a good Christmas, and I hope you have a happy New Year, too!

**Ebz: **Thank you very much! Glad you're still enjoying it! Yes, go you! Good work! You'll find out what's up with Angel very soon.

**uandme72:** Thank you, I'm glad you like it! More soon!

**xXJackxXmy3rdXclassXrockXstarX: **Thank you! Your reviews always make me blush with your compliments! I'm glad I have you faithful readers to give me your critique!

**Sparks Diamond:** Merry Christmas to you too! Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! Yes, the plot does thicken, and it will thicken even more...(insert evil laugh here). More coming soon!

**jill:** I'm glad you like it! More updates soon!

**Pen Liddin:** I love it when people make theories! Sorry, I can't tell you...I can tell you that the library thing will play a role later, but I won't say how! Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

**anime-queen46:** Thanks, glad you like it! I'll write more soon!


	8. In Which All Hell Breaks Loose

AN: I know I've been saying this almost every chapter, but you reviewers are too awesome. You've really given me the motivation to continue this story as fast as I have been, instead of procrastinating and letting it die (which I _promise_ won't happen!). I did actually have a question that you guys could help me with...I took a break from fan fiction for a while, and when I came back, they had the new ratings system in place, which I admit I'm still a little shaky with. Right now, I have this story set at T, but if it needs to be moved up a rating because of some of the content (like Jack's past), the language, and the violence and such, I won't hesitate to move it up a notch. So one or two of you that are familiar with the rating system and how it works, if you could just include in your review your opinion, I'd really appreciate it! I don't want to offend anyone!

Okay, now that that's out of the way, here comes chapter eight! It's kind of a beast, so brace yourself for a long and bumpy ride! (p.s. Happy New Year!)

* * *

Angel shuffled out of the living room, rubbing the back of his neck and yawning as he entered the kitchen. He'd gotten up around ten that morning and had come down to watch some TV; however, finding that he could barely keep his eyes open, he'd fallen asleep on the couch a couple of minutes after he sat down. Now, he saw Evelyn sitting at the kitchen table, clipping coupons from the newspaper. 

"Mornin'," he grumbled, scratching the side of his head as he sat down across from his mother. Evelyn smiled, not looking up from her busywork.

"Afternoon, you mean," she corrected, gesturing to the clock with an absent wave of her hand. Angel looked up, noticing that it was already after one. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Mmmhmm," he murmured, suddenly recognizing the fact that he was extremely hungry. He realized he hadn't eaten dinner last night, and had slept straight through breakfast. Standing, he made his way over to the refrigerator and opened the door. "Anything to eat in here?"

"There's fruit in the bottom drawer," Evelyn answered, turning the page of the newspaper, "and some lunch meat on the shelf above it, if you'd like a sandwich."

Angel nodded, grabbing an apple and some ham out of the refrigerator and moving to the counter to make his sandwich. He got the bread out silently, placing a couple slices of ham onto each half before grabbing a paper towel and sitting back down at the table. He set the sandwich down on the paper towel, staring at it thoughtfully.

"You're quiet," Evelyn remarked, pushing the paper aside and folding her hands on top of the table, looking up at Angel. "Is everything alright, dear?"

Angel shrugged, picking at the crusts of his bread. "Just tired. I didn't get much sleep last night. Kept wakin' up." What he didn't say was that every time he'd woken up, he thought he was back in Iraq. He also didn't say that he'd been having nightmares for a couple of weeks, and although he'd expected them to stop upon his arrival back home, he'd had another one last night.

Evelyn nodded, seeming to know all of Angel's unspoken information even though he refused to share it. "It'll get easier with time, sweetheart." She reached over and rested a hand on his arm gently. "You know I'm here for you if you want to talk about anything."

"I know," he said, not looking up from his sandwich. "I just need...a routine. Somethin' to get back into."

"Well, like I said, Angel, I'm here to talk whenever you need me. Your brother is, too."

Angel couldn't hold back a sarcastic snort. "Yeah, I'm sure he is."

Evelyn shook her head disapprovingly. "So I'm correct in guessing that you and Bobby had an argument last night?"

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

"No need to get smart with me, Angel, I'm not the one you're angry at," Evelyn chided. When Angel mumbled an apology, she smirked. "It's hard not to get that idea when you two come in slamming doors and not even speaking to one another. I'm sure you startled the daylights out of poor Jack."

"Yeah, poor Jack," Angel repeated, a note of bitterness apparent in his voice. He paused, letting Evelyn watch him in silence for a moment, before speaking again. "What do_ you_ think of him?"

Evelyn shrugged. "He seems like a nice boy. Polite...very quiet, but so are a lot of the kids that come around here."

"You alright with him stayin' here?"

"Of course," Evelyn began. She paused, as if she was choosing her next words carefully, before continuing. "Now I may be wrong, Lord knows I have been about these kinds of things before...but I'm guessing that Jack hasn't had too many people in his life that care about him."

Angel gave her a curious look. "Why do you say that?"

Evelyn smiled softly. "After you've seen as many children as I have...as many cases where a child comes to you, lacking the attention he or she needs...you tend to get a sixth sense about it. I think what Jack needs is someone to care about him...a friend."

"Yeah, well Bobby's got that one covered," Angel mumbled, finally picking his sandwich up and taking a bite. Through a mouthful of bread and meat, he said, "I don't get it."

"Close your mouth when you chew," Evelyn reprimanded, and Angel swallowed before continuing.

"I don't get what's up with Bobby and him. I mean, how long've they known each other?"

"Bobby brought Jack here from the bar after work about two nights ago," Evelyn stated, puzzled. "Why?"

"Well, you know Bobby," Angel said, taking another bite of his sandwich, chewing, and swallowing before elaborating. "He ain't really the type to make friends easily. Especially with sixteen year old kids he's known for two days. But he treats this kid like...I don't know. It don't add up."

"Ah, I see," Evelyn nodded, her voice knowing. "This is what your fight was about."

"What?"

"Sweetheart, you know that Bobby loves you." Evelyn stood and cleared the newspapers from the table as Angel chewed his sandwich, his apple still sitting on the table, untouched. "He's just trying to help Jack. Trying to be a friend to someone who desperately needs one. You're his brother, and he's very happy to have you home, as am I."

"Yeah, well it sure as hell couldn't hurt to act like it," Angel murmured, and Evelyn moved over behind his chair, placing a kiss on top of his head.

"Angel, if you're angry at Bobby, I think you should talk to _him_ about it," she said, taking his paper towel as he finished his sandwich. He picked up his apple, moving it between his hands.

"Oh, we tried that," Angel said, mentally recalling the night before. "Bobby's version of talking wasn't exactly productive."

Evelyn rested her hands on his shoulders. "Then try again. You've both had a night to rest and cool down. Just tell him how you feel, dear. He'll understand."

"Maybe," Angel nodded, standing up from the kitchen table and moving towards the stairs. "He still asleep?"

"Actually, he was gone when I woke up this morning," Evelyn said. "Around eight."

"Bobby was up at eight?" Angel asked incredulously, halting in the living room. Bobby was usually never awake before noon. "Where'd he have to go that early?"

"I'm not sure. He mentioned wanting to play hockey the other day. Maybe he and Jack went to play a quick game."

"Right," Angel remarked bitterly with a roll of his eyes, sinking down into the couch cushions and staring blankly at the TV. "With Jack."

"Honey, you were asleep," Evelyn voiced from the kitchen. "He knows you need your rest."

"Whatever," Angel mumbled, taking a bite of his apple. Bobby and he would definitely be having that talk later.

* * *

The next time Angel opened his eyes, the living room and the kitchen were submerged in darkness, the light from the TV providing the only illumination the downstairs had to offer. Someone had draped a blanket over his legs, and he pushed it away as he sat up, looking at the clock. Finding that it was well past eight, Angel rubbed his face tiredly, shaking his head to clear the sleepy fog from his brain. _Fuckin' jet lag._

He stared at the TV in a daze, trying to remember how and when he'd fallen asleep. He looked for the remnants of his half eaten apple, but found no trace of it anywhere around the couch. Deducing that Evelyn must have taken it back to the kitchen, he stood stiffly, yawning, and padded towards the stairs. It was relatively early, but he planned on immediately telling his mother goodnight and crashing until late the next day.

Dragging himself up the stairs, Angel paused when he heard voices coming from the room next to Evelyn's. He lingered outside in the hall, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall, trying to catch any fragments of the conversation that was going on behind the half closed door.

"...so you and Chad stayed in touch?" It was Bobby's voice, sounding tired but intrigued.

"Yeah," replied a voice that Angel guessed was Jack's. He hadn't heard Jack talk much, but he figured, slightly irritated, that where Bobby was, Jack probably wasn't far behind. "I never told him about John, though. He used to call pretty late at night...usually drunk or stoned or something. He'd wake John up, and John would get pissed and..."

"Yeah, I fuckin' get it." Angel was surprised at the distinct growl in Bobby's voice. "And this Chad character...he's still a friend of yours?"

"We're in the band together, you know that."

"That's not what I asked."

Angel heard Jack sigh. "Sure, we're friends...he's got my back."

"He gives me a weird feeling. One of those fuckin' Victor Sweet kind of things." Angel was completely shocked to hear Victor Sweet's name come up. He knew that Sweet was no good, and any mention of his name usually meant trouble. _Why are they talkin' about him? Bobby isn't fuckin' around in Sweet's shit, is he?_

"He...means well." Jack sounded hesitant, but sincere. "Chad's just a little...eccentric. He's always watched out for me, and he was the only friend I had for a while. I trust him."

"Not enough to tell him about John, though."

There was an awkward silence between Bobby and Jack, and Angel yawned, suddenly wishing he was asleep in his room. He knew that the sooner he had his conversation with Bobby, though, the sooner he could stop thinking and worrying about it. He reached out and knocked on the door.

"Yeah?"

Angel pushed the door open and saw that Jack was sitting on the bed, fingering a guitar pick and looking up at him awkwardly. Bobby, on the other hand, was sitting on the floor, head resting back against the bed, legs stretched out in front of him.

"What?" Bobby asked, and Angel almost flinched at the harsh tone of his voice. _Apparently he's still angry._

"Um, Bobby, can I have a word with you?" Angel asked passively, motioning to the hallway. Bobby shrugged.

"I think you just had a couple of words there, so unless you'd like a couple more, I'm kind of in the middle of something here."

Angel's eyes narrowed, but he strived to keep his cool. _Remember what Mom said. Productive talking...try again._ "Listen, I just wanna talk for a second. I don't wanna fight. So can we please just have a decent conversation and figure some shit out between us?"

Bobby shook his head. "Well, Angel, like I said, I'm kind of in the middle of somethin' here. I also think it's a little rude that you interrupted me and Jackie's conversation, so whatever you have to say, you can say it right here."

"Bobby..." Jack spoke up, his voice a little nervous as he looked between the two brothers apprehensively. "You can go talk to him. Really, I don't care."

Both Angel and Bobby ignored Jack, and Angel clenched his fists together at his sides, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. _Productive. Stay calm. _"I'd rather talk to you in the hall. In _private_."

"Well, I'd rather talk to you here," Bobby shot back. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it in front of Jack."

"Come on, Bobby, it doesn't matter," Jack pleaded, recognizing the argument that was about to take place. "Just go..."

"Why are you bein' such an asshole?" Angel suddenly lost his resolve, glaring at Bobby. "You've been on my goddamn back since I got home."

"I dunno what you're talkin' about, Angel," Bobby insisted.

"You're even bein' an asshole right now. I know you're still pissed at me about last night, but that's why I wanna talk about it."

"And all I'm sayin' that you can talk about it right here."

"I would rather not," Angel mumbled between clenched teeth. He was about _this_ close to completely losing his cool...

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way," Bobby shrugged. Jack looked at Bobby in disbelief, not knowing what to say or do. "Because I don't really see why you can't say it..."

"Because _he's_ not family!" Angel finally blurted out, making an angry motion towards Jack with his hand. Jack flinched like he'd been struck by a physical blow, glancing at Angel and back at Bobby with a look of hurt bewilderment. "Because I would like to have a personal conversation with my _brother_ without having someone I don't even know listening in!"

Bobby stood, glaring daggers at Angel and motioning towards the hallway. "Outside. _Now_."

"Fine," Angel spat, following Bobby out of the room as Jack watched them both forlornly. When they entered the hallway, Bobby slammed the door, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Talk," Bobby demanded in a strained whisper, staring at Angel with an angry snarl. "You wanna fuckin' talk so badly that you gotta go around pissing people off to do it, then say whatever the fuck it is you wanna say, right now."

Angel let out a groan of frustration. "Come on, Bobby. Stop bein' such a fuckin' prick about this."

"Oh, so now I'm a prick?" Bobby raised his voice a little, leaning forward towards Angel. "_I'm_ a prick because _you_ had a hissy fit..."

"You know what? Forget it," Angel huffed, turning his back to Bobby. "I'm not gonna talk to you like this. Mom's asleep."

"Ma's out."

"I said forget it."

Bobby let out an irritated snort. "Right, because it was _so_ fuckin' important a minute ago..."

"Alright, fine!" Angel whirled back around, suddenly in Bobby's face. "You wanna know what I'm pissed off about? I come home from Iraq, from fightin' a _war_, almost getting _killed_, and when I wanna talk to my own brother, who I haven't seen in almost a year, he completely blows me off for someone else he just met."

"I'm not blowing you off..."

"Yes, you are!" Angel insisted. "Just now! I wanted to talk, and you had to be a complete asshole about it."

"Jack's had a rough day..."

"_Jack's_ had a rough day?" Angel asked unbelievingly. "I don't think you understand the shit I've been doin'. I _killed_ people, Bobby. I'm wakin' up in the middle of the night thinking I'm still back in that shithole."

"Angel," Bobby's voice was suddenly calm as he placed a hand on Angel's chest. "Let's not do this now. Let's not fight over who's shitty situation is worse, that's gonna get us nowhere. We'll talk tomorrow, okay? I promise."

"You promise to stop bein' an asshole?"

"If you promise to stop..." Bobby began as he pushed open the door again, but stopped dead when he looked inside. Jack was no longer sitting on the bed, and his backpack, his shoes and his jacket were all absent from their previous locations. What was even more disheartening, though, was the fact that the window was wide open, the frigid winter wind blowing into the room and creating a sudden ominous atmosphere.

"Shit," Bobby mumbled, hurrying over to the window and shoving his head out into the night air, looking around. There was no trace of Jack anywhere. "He's fuckin' gone."

"Where the hell'd he go?" Angel asked, following Bobby into the room. Bobby just shook his head, leaning his arms against the window and staring out into the street.

"Goddamn it, Jack."

* * *

Jack walked quickly down the middle of the street, his shoulders hunched and his head down. His face was hot and flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and distress. Angel's words rang in his ears, an icy feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. _He's not family. I don't want him listening in._ He shivered, pulling his jacket around him tighter and walking a little faster. Jack wanted to get away from the Mercer house as quickly as possible, before Bobby could come looking for him. He'd climbed out the window in desperation, jumping from the roof to the ground in an unsteady, but harmless, leap. 

He wasn't angry at Bobby, or at Angel really, but to say he wasn't upset would have been a flat out lie. The day had been long enough as it was, with Jack using an enormous amount of mental strength to tell Bobby about his past. When he'd gotten back to the Mercer house, all he'd wanted to do was sleep. Of course, when Bobby had come into his room...

_Not my room_, Jack's mind told him. He kicked a rock angrily, watching it bounce down the street as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

When Bobby had come into the room where he'd been sleeping, looking to talk, Jack had, of course, agreed. Talking with Bobby, he found, didn't require much effort. Not like talking with his social worker, where he'd been forced to listen to the redundant speeches of how "Maybe this time will be permanent," and "I know you'll find a good home someday." Not like talking with Chad, where he was constantly criticized and looked down upon, made to feel inferior and painfully young. Not like talking to John, where every word could mean a beating...or worse.

No, Bobby hadn't treated him like a stupid street kid, or an orphan looking for a home, or pathetic loser who couldn't stop bad things from happening to him. Jack couldn't help but feel that Bobby and he had some kind of connection, not just because of the weird feelings they'd been having, but because of something else entirely. Bobby, from the moment they'd met, had treated him like a friend, almost like family, and Jack, never having a real family of his own, had grasped onto that blindly, throwing any reservations to the wind and trusting Bobby wholeheartedly.

_Which was a big mistake,_ Jack thought angrily. _Bobby already has a family. Of course this doesn't matter as much to him as it does...as it _did _to me._

The way Jack saw it, the little fantasy world he'd been living in for the past couple of days was now gone. The time when shared weird feelings in a bar, late night hockey games on the living room couch, and burnt breakfasts in the kitchen were normal occurrences was over. Jack figured he was now doomed to his previous life once more: where every night was a struggle to find something to eat and a dry place to sleep.

_Angel made it very clear._ Jack wiped at his eyes, frustrated at his blurring vision and shaking hands. _I'm not part of their family...and they don't want me as part of their family._

By the time Jack looked up from the ground, his train of thought had led him to believe that Bobby had only befriended him out of pity, as a sort of good deed for the year. As for the weird feelings, Jack was suddenly embarrassed for revealing his suspicions about the book to Bobby. _They're just feelings, like Bobby said. Nothing to take seriously. Maybe there's no explaining what happened between us...and neither of us have had one of those feelings lately, anyway. Maybe there's just no explaining it at all. It's nothing, just some stupid..._

Jack looked around, suddenly noticing that he was standing on Chad's front porch, without having any idea of how he got there. He wondered how long he'd actually been walking, realizing that the Mercer house was quite a long distance from Chad's. Shaking his head in disbelief, he looked over at Chad's front window, noticing that the living room light was on. _It's better than sleeping on the street._

Reaching up and knocking on the door, Jack felt his stomach drop, a feeling of panic abruptly washing over him without any explanation. His palms began to sweat, like they had earlier that day, and the lump returned to his throat. For some reason, Jack suddenly wanted nothing more than to be miles away from Chad's house. Something in his mind told him that this was a bad idea...a _very_ bad idea...

As soon as the door opened, Chad appearing in front of him wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and a loose long sleeved shirt, Jack snapped out of his panicky state. He wiped his hands on his jeans as the lump disappeared from his throat. _What the hell was that?_

"Hey," he mumbled, shoving his hands back into his pockets and refusing to look Chad in the eye. Chad leaned against the door frame, yawning, gazing at Jack through half lidded eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked lazily. Jack shrugged

"You know what I want, man," he said, his voice strained and tired. He'd had an emotionally exhausting day, and wanted nothing to do with Chad's mind games right now. "Just let me crash here tonight."

"Why? Boyfriend kick you out?" Chad asked, raising an eyebrow, while Jack shook his head, rubbing a hand across his face.

"Please, not tonight, okay?" Jack insisted, moving to push past Chad into the house. As Jack approached the doorway, Chad stuck an arm out, blocking his path into the living room. Jack stopped abruptly, shooting a confused look at Chad before turning his outstretched hands upward in a bewildered gesture. "What?"

"Maybe I don't feel like givin' you a place to sleep tonight," Chad crossed his arms again, but Jack was too startled to move inside. "Maybe I don't like the way you've been treating me lately."

"Chad, please," Jack started, feelings his legs begin to shake from a mixture of the cold and the exhaustion that wracked his body. "Please, not tonight. I'm just really tired, and I wanna go to bed. I don't know what you're talking about, but I swear we can fix whatever it is first thing tomorrow morning."

"Don't think so, man." Chad shook his head, his tone unenthusiastic and uncaring. "Go stay with your bartender buddy."

"I can't. Not tonight."

Chad shrugged. "Not my problem. Hate for you to have to learn these things the hard way, Jackie."

"_Please._" Jack was close to begging now, feeling like he was going to collapse with fatigue. His head hurt, his stomach ached, his legs shook, and he hadn't been this miserable since...well, since before he'd run away. "Please, Chad, just tonight. I thought we were friends."

"So did I. But you've been treatin' me like shit lately, so I think you need a little time to reevaluate this friendship."

"How, Chad?" Jack pleaded. "How have I been treating you like shit? Tell me and I'll stop."

"Yeah, you'll stop tonight." Chad backed further into the living room, placing a hand on the side of the door. "I don't like bein' taken advantage of, Jackie. I offered you a place to stay here, and I expect a little gratitude for that."

"I _am_ grateful!"

"Well, you don't show it," Chad started to close the door, but Jack reached out, stopping him in the process. Chad sighed exasperatedly. "I said no, Jack. If you're gonna blow me off for someone you just met two days ago, then you're gonna pay the consequences. Go stay with him."

"I told you, I _can't_!"

"Then find somewhere else to sleep." Chad pushed the door closed, and Jack stared at it for a moment, blinking. He placed a hand on the door, resting his forehead against the wood.

"Chad, _please_!" He waited, listening, for an answer. There was none. "Chad!" Nothing. "Goddamn it!" he yelled, kicking the door with a sudden renewal of strength. He bounded down the stairs, jogging away from the house and down the street until he felt like he was going to pass out. He turned into an alley, falling sideways against the wall as he struggled to breathe around the lump in his throat.

_Jack, listen...breathe, man. It's okay._ Bobby's words from earlier that morning flooded his mind, causing his eyes to well up with tears as his knees gave out. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to be sitting with Bobby on his couch, watching hockey, wrapped up in a warm blanket. Instead, he was kneeling in a dirty alley, freezing, hungry, and beginning to cry.

He scooted into the darkest corner of the alley, pushing his back against the brick wall and curling his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. He swallowed thickly, wiping angrily at the tears that wouldn't cease from running down his cheeks. Fighting a sob that was lodged in the back of his throat, he shrugged off his backpack, setting it down next to him. For a moment, he considered getting up and finding his way back to the Mercer house, but quickly dismissed it.

_I've already fucked up my life,_ he thought miserably. _I'm not gonna fuck up theirs._

Shivering uncontrollably, Jack spotted a small metal trash can on the other side of the alley, and stood shakily, grabbing a pack of matches out of his pocket. He struck one, watching the flame dance for a moment, transfixed by its light, before tossing it into the barrel. He waited as the flames engulfed the contents of the trash can, then stretched his hands out over the warmth, letting the heat soothe him and diminish the chill. He shuffled back to his backpack, grabbing a pack of cigarettes from inside and lighting one up. He sank down to the ground again, smoking slowly as his hand shook, rubbing the tears off of his face. The nicotine calmed his nerves slightly, but he found that it couldn't get rid of the way his stomach hurt or the way his chest felt too tight.

After finishing the cigarette, he flicked it into the burning trash can, grabbing his backpack and placing it closer to the barrel. He moved to lie down, resting his head on his backpack and tucking his legs close to his body for warmth. Without the soothing warmth of the fire or the cigarette in his hand, another sob built within his throat as the tears he'd worked hard to wipe away returned.

_I'm sixteen, homeless, and sleeping in an alley in the middle of winter in Detroit. The only family I've ever had took advantage of me, and the only friends I've ever had I pushed away._

Jack closed his eyes tightly, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, trying to create some more warmth than what the small fire could offer. For the first time in a long time, he was truly concerned with whether he could survive living on his own anymore.

_Then again,_ he thought, _it's not much of a life I have, anyway.

* * *

_

The next morning, Jack found himself back on Chad's porch, pounding angrily on the door. He was now wearing a long sleeved shirt and a hoodie from his backpack under his coat, finding the cold unbearable last night in just his t-shirt and jacket. His eyes were red rimmed, bloodshot and tired. After practically crying himself to sleep the night before, Jack had woken up with a new sense of clarity. If he was going to survive on his own, he was going to have to take control. When Chad opened the door, he didn't say a word, just pushed past him into the house.

"Mornin'," Chad mumbled as Jack barged in, closing the door and meandering back to the couch. He grabbed a half eaten bowl of cereal off the coffee table, stirring the last few of his Cocoa Puffs absently. "Have a nice night?"

"Shut the fuck up," Jack said harshly, walking over to the basement door and turning the knob sharply, finding it locked. "Open the goddamn door."

"Well, aren't we a little pissy..." Chad began with a smirk, putting the bowl back down, but Jack cut him off, slamming his hand against the door.

"Just open the fucking door!" he yelled, feeling an inward spark of satisfaction as Chad blinked, taken aback. "I'm serious, Chad. I'm getting my shit and getting the hell out of here. Unlock the door, I want my guitar."

"What's your problem, Jackie?"

"Don't call me that!" Jack felt himself growing angrier and subsequently more confident as he continued to speak. "I'm so sick of all your shit! Pretending you're my friend, and then feeding me some _bullshit_ about how _I'm_ taking advantage of you! You left me out in the _cold,_ Chad! I've had enough, okay? I'm getting the fuck out of here before you do any more shit to me like you did last night!"

Chad regained his composure, standing and nodding, walking slowly over to Jack. "Okay. While I appreciate the sudden display of balls, I can't let you leave."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because you're sixteen, you're stupid, and you need to get your ass off the street before your ignorance gets you killed."

Jack snorted, sneering at Chad. "So what are you saying? That out of the fuckin' _goodness_ of your heart, you're just gonna pretend that last night didn't happen and have me live here and leech off of you for the rest of my life?"

"Of course not." Chad grinned eerily, sending a shiver down Jack's spine. He grabbed Jack's shoulders, their eyes meeting in a sudden chilling display of wills. "I called your daddy."

Jack's insides froze, his mind reeling as he threw Chad's hands off of him. When he spoke, his voice shook. "What?"

Chad chuckled, watching Jack's face turn pale. "You're ridiculous, thinking that you could run away and live on your own. I respect whatever little argument you had with John, but I think it's about time to..."

Bur Chad couldn't finish, because Jack suddenly punched him in the mouth so hard that his head whipped around and he doubled over, grabbing the side of his face. "Fuck, Jack! What the hell was that for?"

"You _asshole_!" Jack screamed, beginning to panic. John was coming...John was coming here, to _this_ house, to find _him_. "You fucking _asshole!_ Why would you do that?"

"It's for your own good," Chad murmured, straightening up and wiping his now bleeding lip. "You'll thank me later, I'm sure."

"Shit," Jack swore under his breath, his hands trembling as he ran his fingers nervously through his hair. He had to get out before John got there. Before John could take him away... "When did you call him?"

Chad shrugged, seemingly unfazed by Jack's anger. "He should be here any minute."

Jack shot one last longing glance at the basement door, knowing he'd have to leave his guitar behind if he wanted to make a quick exit. He had only one thought on his mind now: get to Bobby. Bobby was the only one that knew about John, and he was sure that Bobby was the only one that could, and would, help him, despite what Angel said or thought. Jack grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulders and hurrying to the front door, preparing to make a run for the Mercers' house as he mentally mapped out his route. However, when he reached the door, Chad grabbed his arm roughly.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" Chad asked, and when Jack pulled his arm away, he pushed Jack up against the door, digging the heels of his hands into Jack's shoulders. "I don't think so. It's called an intervention, Jackie. I told ya, I gotta keep you here for your own good."

"Fuck, let me go!" Jack was becoming hysterical now, trying to squirm out of Chad's grip as the older boy kept a tight hold on him. "Let me go! You don't understand! I have to leave! I have to fuckin' leave before he..."

Suddenly, a knock on the door cut Jack's yelling short, and he ripped himself out of Chad's grasp, darting to the other side of the room. He pushed his back flat against the wall, his entire body shaking. He was trapped. He was trapped inside the house, with John Davis on the other side of the door, waiting to take him back to the hell he'd lived through once before. He closed his eyes, bracing himself as Chad opened the door.

When he reopened his eyes, a tall man, well over six foot, loomed in the doorway. His hair was longer and thinner than the last time Jack had seen it. His arms, however, were larger, more muscular, causing Jack to gasp in apprehension. One side of his mouth turned upward in a twisted grin as he placed his hands on his hips, watching Jack tremble with an odd sense of accomplishment in his eyes.

"Well, well," John murmured. "Ready to go home, son? It's about damn time."

* * *

**Gavin Venom:** Thank you! Poor Jack, how I torture him... 

**Br00klyn Babe:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Protective Bobby is my favorite :) I'm definitely going to write more, this damn story won't leave me alone, and with the way I'm writing it's never going to end! I'll update again soon!

**Dicefreak:** I'm not entirely sure what the M. is for (if it's for anything at all, or just a type), but thanks for reviewing anyway!

**jill:** Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! I also love it when people make theories...and I hate it that I can't tell them if they're right! You'll have to wait until the end to see! Updates coming as soon as possible!

**Ebz:** He is indeed an evil man, to hurt poor Jackie like that...sometimes I hate these characters I create! Thanks for reviewing!

**nina:** Thank you very much! I'm really glad you like it! I love angsty Bobby and Jack as well. I'll be posting new chapters soon!

**Sparks Diamond: **Yes, indeed, poor Jack...and don't worry, the plot will thicken more in the next couple of chapters! Thank you very much!

**Ophelia Hyde:** Okay, babe, since you had two lengthy reviews, you get one very lengthy answer. (deep breath) I'm glad your not apoligizing this time, so I won't refuse to answer your review...or something like that. I'm glad you liked my characterization of Angel, I think he was definitely the hardest to write because they didn't delve too deep into him in the movie. As for Jack reading, that was just one of those that wouldn't let go until I wrote it...and it helped me develop a major plot point, too! Poor poor Jack, the things that I do to him...(sigh) oh well, it'll all get better eventually, right? Protective Bobby is love, and as for your theory...I can't tell you! You'll have to wait and see! I thought that the parellel universes things wouldn't be something Bobby would come right out and believe, no matter who told him about it. We'll see if we can't work on him, there ;) Alright, I think that about covers it! Thanks so much for reading and for your wonderful reviews and compliments!

**xXJackxXmy3rdXclassXrockXStarX: **I'm glad you liked it! (blushes) A masterpiece, it is not, but I'm really glad you're enjoying it! I use a lot of detail so that the reader can invision the scene in their head, and I hope its working! Thank you so much!

**anime-queen46:** Thank you! Let's just say, I don't think Bobby's gonna let that one go easily, if you know what I mean ;)

**Wolf10:** The internet is a tricky thing, isn't it? Thank you very much, that's such a compliment! I really appreciate it, and I'm glad you're enjoying it! Jack and Bobby were definitely my favorites in the movie, as well, and its been really fun developing their already strong personalities that they had in the movie. Next update coming soon!


	9. In Which The Investigation Begins

AN: So first of all, I would like to apologize to everyone for the slow update. I planned on posting this a couple of days ago, but my mom suprised me with a trip to Chicago to visit my best friend, and I wasn't able to use the internet until today. Hopefully you guys aren't too angry with me, and didn't die from the suspense of my cliffhanger! Secondy...I'm speechless about your reactions to the last chapter! Thank you guys so much! I'm really glad you guys are enjoying this! I hope you enjoy this chapter, as well! Thanks, again, for reading!

* * *

"Hey, Mercers. Anyone home?"

"In here, Jerry," Bobby called from the living room couch as Jerry pushed open the front door, shaking the snow from his coat as he did so. Folding his newspaper, Bobby swung his legs off the couch, motioning for Jerry to take a seat as he entered the living room. "It snowing harder?"

"Hell, yeah," Jerry mumbled, removing his coat and tossing it toward the recliner, watching it fall a couple of inches short. He leaned back, closing his eyes for a moment before looking over at Bobby. "How's it goin'?"

Bobby shrugged. "Fine," he said, the corners of his mouth turning upward in a slight smile. "Thought you said you weren't comin' around for a while."

Jerry smiled as well. "Yeah, well...I'm not always a man of my word. How's Angel?"

"Dunno," Bobby sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I haven't seen him all day."

"You two still fightin'?"

"We can't really be fightin' if we're not talking," Bobby reasoned, shaking his head when Jerry gave him a critical look. "Don't give me that, Jerry. It's gonna take a fuckin' miracle to get Angel to settle this. He's a stubborn piece of shit, you know that."

"Yeah, almost as stubborn as someone else I know," Jerry replied, nudging Bobby's shoulder. "Admit it, it's not all Angel's fault that ya'll aren't talkin'."

"Well, it _is_ all Angel's fault that Jack ran off."

"What?" Jerry asked, surprised. "Jack's not here?"

Bobby shook his head. "Nope. He jumped out of the fuckin' window last night while Angel was bitchin' to me in the hallway about how Jack ain't family and obviously not worth our time."

"Wow," Jerry murmured. "He upset?"

"Angel or Jack?"

"Both."

"Angel's been avoiding me all day, so I'd say that's a fuckin' resounding yes," Bobby stated harshly, although his eyes betrayed his sudden worry. "Jack...I dunno. I've been waiting for him to come back, maybe after he had some time to cool down, but no luck. I'm about _this _close to goin' out there and looking for him."

"I'm sure Jack'll be fine," Jerry reassured. "He lived out on the streets before you came along."

"Yeah," Bobby sighed. "But he told me some pretty heavy shit yesterday, and was kinda worked up over it...I just don't want him to do anything stupid right now."

"Like what?"

"I'm not sure. I..."

Bobby stopped talking immediately, looking up, and Jerry turned to see Angel standing in the hall, shoulders hunched against the wind as he closed the door. He turned to the two friends, eyes betraying his momentary shock at seeing Jerry, before his face became a mask of stoicism again. "Hey, Jerry," he said without emotion, unwrapping the scarf from around his neck.

"Hey, man," Jerry replied, noticing the way Bobby was avoiding Angel's gaze. "How you doin'?"

"Fine," he replied stiffly, and Jerry noticed how much he sounded like Bobby when he said it. "Just got back from Sofi's. I'm a little tired, think I'm gonna go take a nap."

"Okay," Jerry said, disappointed. He'd wanted to talk to Angel, maybe find out what was bothering him. _Guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow._ "I'll see ya later, then."

"Later," Angel mumbled, not even looking at Bobby as he wandered upstairs to his room. When the door slammed, Jerry let out a long, low whistle.

"He's not doin' too well."

"Ya think?" Bobby asked sarcastically, although he didn't look up from his hands. "I dunno what the hell's wrong with him."

"Bobby, I know this probably ain't what you wanna hear right now," Jerry began, waiting until Bobby looked up at him curiously, "but did you ever think about _asking_ him?"

"Of course," Bobby spat. "But you know as well as I do that you can't just _ask_ Angel anything. You hafta fuckin'... back into if from fifteen different directions. Besides, if he really wanted to talk, he didn't have to piss me off in the process and insult the hell out of Jack."

Jerry nodded silently, mulling over what Bobby said thoughtfully before speaking again. "You know, I'm sure what Angel said about Jack was uncalled for. I know he's not a saint or nothin'." Bobby snorted in response, and Jerry smirked a little before continuing. "But maybe...I can see where he's comin' from."

"What are you saying, Jerry?"

"I'm saying," Jerry turned, facing Bobby fully, "that maybe Angel needs a little attention right now. He just came back from _war_, Bobby. And...maybe he sees Jack as a threat."

Bobby eyes narrowed, confused. "A threat to what?"

"A threat for your attention. Think about it, he's only nineteen. Practically still a kid. He's had to grow up pretty damn fast, and you and Evelyn are the only family he's got. And Jack...I don't know. Angel just needs to be around people he can trust right now."

"He can trust Jack," Bobby insisted. "If I trust Jack, he should know he can, too."

"Come on, Bobby, don't expect him to just assume these things," Jerry warned. "Angel doesn't trust easily."

"I know," Bobby sighed, looking up towards the direction of Angel's room. "Should I talk to him now?"

"Nah, let him sleep," Jerry said, and Bobby nodded.

"I'll just talk to him after I get off work tonight," he affirmed, looking around the room and running a hand restlessly over his hair. "Well, I can't sit around anymore." He stood, walking over to the closet to grab his coat. "I'm gonna go look for Jack. Wanna come?"

"Sure." Jerry stood as well, picking his coat up off the floor. "Do you plan on searchin' all of Detroit or do you have a place to start?"

Bobby shrugged into his coat, grabbing his keys off the couch. "We'll start at Chad's."

* * *

Chad reclined back onto the arm of the couch, flipping through the TV channels, half-heartedly looking for something to watch while his mind wandered. He thought briefly about the events of the morning, reassuring himself that he'd done the best thing for Jack. He had, indeed, wondered why Jack had such an outburst about his calling John, but he figured it was just some kind of hormonal overreaction. _He is only sixteen, after all. Fuckin' teenagers always blow shit out of proportion._

Yawning, Chad stopped on a random station, tossing the remote to the floor and letting his arm hang over the edge of the couch. _It'll be nice to get the kid out of my hair for a while, anyways,_ he thought, reaching for a blanket and pulling it up over his legs. _Not that I don't like him...he's just too immature._ Chad never did understand why Jack ran away, and because Jack never offered to tell him, he figured it was something stupid and trivial that Jack was just too embarrassed to share. _That's admitting guilt, and I'm sure that's the last thing Jackie would wanna do._

Chad's only real concern was that Jack might be angry enough to quit the band, in which case they'd be out a lead guitarist and vocalist. _Although, Eric's been eyeing up the lead vocalist spot for a while now._ _And he's older than Jack, a hell of a lot smarter, too. _Smirking to himself, Chad felt comfortably satisfied with his decision that morning. Calling John Davis helped everyone: it helped Jack get a permanent place to sleep, it helped Chad, as he was no longer forced to provide a temporary home for Jack anymore, and it helped the band in providing them with a new, smarter, and probably more talented lead singer.

The telephone rang, snapping Chad out of his self-induced ego boost as he pushed himself off the couch. Reaching the phone in the kitchen on the third ring, Chad jumped up onto the counter, sitting on the edge and twisting the phone cord in his hand. "Hello."

"Chad?" the rough voice replied, and Chad immediately recognized it as John Davis'. "It's John again."

"Hey, man," Chad said, slightly confused as to why John would be calling back. _Maybe Jack's bein' a pain in the ass and ran off again. _"What can I do for ya?"

"I just wanted to thank you again for returnin' my boy to me. I really did miss him a whole lot. More than you know."

"No problem, Mr. D," Chad replied, although he knew that another 'thank you' wasn't the only reason John had called again. "Is there somethin' else on your mind?"

John laughed. "You're a bright kid. There is somethin' else you could do for me. And there's somethin' in it for you, too, of course...something green, and a good amount of it, if you're interested."

Chad grinned. He was always up for making a little extra cash. "Of course I'm interested. What's up?"

"It's real simple. I'm gonna give you an address that you'll write down on a piece of paper. Then, tonight, you're gonna deliver it to a man named Bobby Mercer. He works at the bar close to where you live. You're gonna tell him Victor Sweet says that what he's lookin' for is at that address." John paused, letting Chad soak up the information. "You got all that? Think you're up to it?"

"Sure," Chad agreed, although he was a little skeptical. "But how do I know this Bobby guy's gonna be working tonight?"

"Trust me, boy, I know," John assured, his voice full of a humor that Chad didn't understand. "I have friends who make it their _business_ to know. Just ask for him at the bar, give him the address...24 Sullivan...and tell him what I told ya."

Chad scribbled the address down on the back of a receipt. "24 Sullivan...give it to Bobby Mercer. Okay." He paused for a moment, staring at the name thoughtfully. "Bobby Mercer...he works at the bar..." _Is this the same bartender that Jack knows? _Chad suddenly remembered mentioning the bartender to John on the phone earlier that morning, saying that Jack had been hanging around with him, that he was a lot older than Jack, and that he seemed like he might be up to no good. "Is this the guy I mentioned this morning? The bartender who's friends with Jack?"

John hesitated, leaving the conversation in silence for a couple seconds before taking a breath and continuing, his voice lower. "Listen, Chad...that's none of my business who this guy is, and it's definitely none of yours. Victor Sweet's business is his own, and he doesn't like other people fuckin' around with it. Understand?"

"Yeah," Chad said, slightly startled by John's reaction. "I was just curious..."

"Don't be. You live right next to the bar, so it'll be easy for ya. Just go there, give him the address, and leave. I'll stop by and give you the money sometime this week."

"Okay." Chad didn't like the tone of John's voice, and he was suddenly apprehensive about carrying out John's instructions. _I could use the money, though. And its John...Jack's father...he wouldn't be involved in anything dangerous._ "You can just have Jack drop it by next band practice."

"Jack won't be coming to your next band practice," John insisted quickly. "He's quitting the band."

"Oh. Okay." It wasn't that Chad hadn't expected it...but he _had_ expected Jack to come over and tell them himself. _Fuckin' pussy._ "Well, whatever. Tell him I guess I'll see him around, then."

"Give Bobby the note at eight tonight. That's when he's working." Chad heard a click, realizing that John had hung up. He pulled the receiver away from his ear, looking at it suspiciously. _What the hell did I just get myself into?_

He pushed that mentality aside, sliding off the counter and making his way back to the living room. _Don't worry about it,_ he thought to himself. _You'll deliver the address, make a little cash, and..._

Chad almost jumped as the doorbell rang, and he stopped his progress to the couch, turning towards the door and eyeing it apprehensively. _None of my friends ring the bell, and I'm not expecting anyone..._

He hurried to the door, first looking out the window to see who was standing on the porch. Two guys he didn't recognize – a short white guy wearing a leather coat and a hard expression on his face, and a taller, skinny black man wearing overalls under a heavier jacket – stood in front of the door, shuffling impatiently. The shorter one reached out and knocked, leaning over to peek inside the window and see if anyone was home. Pulling away, Chad reached for the doorknob, opening it slowly.

When the door was open, he eyed the two men cautiously, keeping one hand on the side of the frame. "Can I help you guys?"

"You might be able to," the shorter man said, keeping his hands in his coat pockets. "Are you Chad Robinson?"

Chad raised an eyebrow, leaning heavily against the door. "Who's askin'?"

"My name's Bobby, and this is my friend Jeremiah. We're lookin' for a kid named Jack. He's been staying at my house for the past couple of nights, and he ran off yesterday, and we were just a little concerned. He mentioned you were a friend of his, and we figured he might be here, or that you might know where he was."

"I know where he is," Chad began, then paused for a moment, looking Bobby up and down. "Do I know you?"

Bobby glanced warily over at Jerry, who shrugged. He turned back to Chad, mimicking Jerry's action. "I don't know, man. Listen, I really need to get goin', I gotta work tonight, so if you could just let me know where Jack is..."

"Do you work at the bar down the street?" Chad persisted. "Are you Bobby Mercer?"

"Yeah..." Bobby's voice was guarded as he glared at Chad distrustfully. "Is that a problem?"

"No, no," Chad shook his head, not believing his luck. Now he didn't have to go all the way to the bar tonight to deliver the message. Bobby had shown up right at his doorstep...looking for Jack. He remembered John's words..._You're gonna tell him Victor Sweet says that what he's lookin' for is at that address._ "You're looking for Jack, you said?"

Bobby sighed edgily. "Yes, I did. Now if you could just tell me where he is..."

"I have something for you," Chad interrupted, turning to go back into the house, but Bobby stepped up, grabbing his arm.

"Listen, I don't really have time for this shit, okay?" His voice was deliberate, serious and down to business. "So just tell me where Jack is, or we can stop this little question game right now and I'll be on my way."

"Jack's not here," Chad said, pulling his arm out of Bobby's grip. "He went home with his dad. Just wait here for a second, I have to..."

But Chad couldn't say anymore, because Bobby had leapt up into the house, pushing him around against the wall and holding him there with a crushing amount of strength. When he spoke, his voice was a low snarl. "What did you say?"

"He...he went home with his dad." Chad cursed himself mentally for stuttering, not wanting Bobby to know that he'd been startled by his abrupt actions. "What the fuck is your problem, man?"

"What the hell are you doin'?" Jerry asked, following Bobby into the living room, but Bobby only waved his hand in reply.

"You're gonna tell me why the fuck he's with John Davis," Bobby growled, turning all his attention back to Chad, "or I'll fuck you up so bad you'll wish your sorry ass had never come near Jack."

"Bobby, what the..." Jerry shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. "Leave him the fuck _alone_."

"I _got_ this, Jerry," Bobby shot back. His head whirled around, and he glared at Chad with a dangerous glint in his eye. "You better start talkin', asshole. If you think I'm bluffin', you're gonna have a..."

"Okay!" Chad pushed Bobby's shoulders with as much strength as he could muster, slipping out from under Bobby's grip. _Who the hell does this guy think he is? And how does he know John?_ "I don't know what right you fuckin' think you have, barging into my house and..."

"I'd shut the fuck up if I was you," Bobby interjected, suddenly reaching back and pulling out a gun from his waistband, pointing it straight at Chad. "Talk."

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Bobby," Jerry groaned. "Think about what you're doin'!"

"Oh, I am thinkin'." Bobby's voice was calm, but his eyes were wild. "I'm thinkin' that if our new friend Chad doesn't tell me why the hell Jack is with that piece of shit John Davis, I'm gonna put a bullet through his skull. I'd suggest that _you_," he jerked the gun in Chad's direction for emphasis, "open your mouth and give me a goddamn explanation, right now."

Chad chose his words very carefully, not wanting to anger Bobby so much that he'd actually fire the gun. He kept his eyes locked on the weapon, his hands out in a defensive gesture. "Jack is with John because I called him and told him to come pick Jack up. John is Jack's father..."

"Foster father," Bobby spat.

"Okay, okay, foster father. Jack's sixteen. He's too young to be living on the streets. He needs a father, and I called his...his foster father...and now he's goin' home. Where he belongs."

Bobby was silent as he lowered the gun, and Jerry took the opportunity to snatch the weapon out of Bobby's grasp. Bobby just glared at Chad, fists clenched at his sides.

"Happy now?" Chad asked, his hands descending now that Jerry had the gun. "If you'll just wait here for one fuckin' second, I have..."

Yet again, Chad couldn't finish his sentence, because Bobby had punched him in the eye, much harder than Jack had that morning. _Twice in one damn day._ He doubled over, clutching the left side of his face, and Bobby found this the perfect opportunity to bring a knee into his stomach, pushing him to the floor.

"You stay the _fuck_ away from Jack, you hear me?" Bobby snarled, looming over Chad as he curled up on the ground, moaning. "I don't want you anywhere near him again."

"Bobby!" Jerry began, but Chad, pushed himself to his knees, glaring daggers at Bobby, an arm around his stomach.

"That's fuckin' _fine_ with me!" he panted, his other arm waving wildly. "He was a goddamn nuisance, anyway! Now get the fuck outta my house before I call the cops!"

"You better watch yourself, Robinson," Bobby warned as he backed out of the living room, pointing at Chad, Jerry pushing him along. Keeping his eyes locked on Chad until he was out of sight, Bobby slammed the door, leaving Chad to kneel on the floor, wondering what the hell had just happened.

_Bobby Mercer...the same Bobby Mercer that John mentioned. He knows Jack...he's _looking_ for Jack...he's the bartender that Jack mentioned. But why is Bobby so worked up about Jack going home? And what does this Victor Sweet want with Bobby? Is Jack the thing he's looking for?_

Chad grabbed the side of the couch, struggling to get to his feet and stumbling back to the front door. He suddenly felt compelled to deliver the address to Bobby, no matter how much he hated him at that moment. Wrenching the door open, he saw Bobby already driving away.

"Shit," Chad swore under his breath, slamming the door shut. He slumped against the wall, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. _Bobby has to be looking for something else...not Jack. Why would some guy named Victor Sweet have Jack? _John_ has Jack. Jack's fine..._

But suddenly, Chad had an overwhelming feeling that Jack _wasn't _fine. He rubbed his hands together anxiously, limping to the kitchen and sitting down at the counter. He picked up the phone, dialing the number to the bar down the street. _Like John said, it's really none of my business what's goin' on. I don't wanna deal with this. Just deliver the message, and get the cash. Someone else will take care of this._

"O'Malley's."

"Hi, I'd like to leave a message for Bobby Mercer."

"Name?"

"Chad Robinson."

A brief silence…. "And the message?"

"Tell him to go to 24 Sullivan. Victor Sweet says he'll find what he's looking for there."

* * *

**pwrhungryjr:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, Chad's not quite the definition of a good friend...there's always one of those backstabbers lurking about.

**Dicefreak:** The internet is a tricky little bastard sometimes, isn't it? Drama, drama, drama...I love drama, and I think fights are the best way to create it! I'm glad you liked it and thought it was realistic. Yeah, Angel said some not so nice things about Jack...hopefully they'll get that all worked out, yeah? Poor Jackie, sleeping in the cold...I must stop putting him through these things, but then there'd be no story! I'm also glad you liked the twist with Chad. I've always wanted to write an OC, and I was so nervous about how this one would turn out. All in all, I'm really pleased with everyone's reaction to him, so thank you! And yay for cliffhangers! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

**mackie:** Thanks, I'm really glad you like it! Sorry for the less than super fast update...I'll do better next time!

**Embry:** Poor, poor Jack. Things will get better eventually! Thank you so much, I'm glad you like it!

**jill:** Ah, cliffies are what make the world go 'round, I say. My apologies for the slow update! Hopefully the suspense _didn't_ kill you, that would be horrible! Thank you so much!

**Miroku loves Mel 4 ever:** lol I like your commands to the characters...I can't promise you they'll listen though, they definitely have minds of their own! Updates sooner next time, I promise!

**rekirika:** I'm glad you like it! I, too, love brotherly relationships, and I thought Four Brothers definitely had one of the best I've seen. Thank you so much, I'm glad this story is keeping your interest!

**uandme72: **Poor Jack is quite the tragic character, we'll see if we can't make things better for him sometime. More soon!

**Nina: **Hehe, I am quite evil, aren't I? With what I have planned, I'll probably become more evil soon...Chad and John are quite vile, aren't they? Maybe I'll make nice OC's next time...maybe not. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Sparks Diamond: **I'm glad you liked it, thank you! I really hoped that this story would keep peoples' interest. Once again, sorry for the slow update! Here's your next chapter, hope you enjoy it!

**Skydance1110: **Thank you so much, that's an awesome compliment! I really appreciate it! Angel and Jerry will definitely show up and interact more with Jack and Bobby (especially Angel), and both will have a large role yet to play. Trust me, Jack will become important to them, too. Thanks again, the next update will come sooner!

**Minka**: Wow, that's quite the review you left! Thank you so much! Yes, I took a break from fan fiction, too, for a while, and I definitely know what you mean about the Legolas syndrome. As a former avid reader of Lord of the Rings fics, I finally got fed up and stopped reading them all together. I have noticed that Jack's character has been getting that treatment, and I obviously didn't want to do that as well. Jack has a sensitive side, but I don't think he's a complete pushover, and I'm glad you like my portrayal of him. I loved writing the Chad-Jack fight scene, and I can say that I already have another ass kicking Jack scene in the works! And wow, thank you for the compliments about Bobby's character, although without the movie character, I'd have no basis! But thank you so much! That really is a wonderfuly compliment. Let's see, the odd feelings...they will come into play again, and Angel will definitely be contributing more later on, as will Jerry. Don't worry about ranting and raving, I love long reviews! Thanks so much again!

**anime-queen46:** Yay, indeed. Thanks, I'm glad you like it!

**Ophelia Hyde: **Woot for cliffies! Sorry to leave it at such at suspenseful part, but my evil side made me do it! I was always a big fan of cliffhangers, they keep you interested and keep you reading. Sorry so much for the slow update, babe! Next time I'll be better, I promise. Chad really isn't the brightest crayon in the box, and I'm glad you caught on to that. I wrote him as a kind of antagonist that's not exactly morally worthless, but isn't really all that smart, angers easily, and doesn't want to be involved if he doesn't have to (which all ends up getting him and everyone else in trouble). Angel will get better eventually, but I'm glad you understand where his jealously is coming from. Glad you liked this chapter, more soon I promise! Thank you!

**jenny: **Chad is quite nasty...and I don't think Bobby likes nasty, does he? We'll see...thanks for reading and reviewing!

**risatine: **Ack, horrible cliffies are my speciality! Sorry for the slow update, I'll be quicker next time! Thanks!

**Wolf10: **Don't die! Although, I can't promise less suspense...Yeah, Chad's just unobservant and a pretty crappy friend, isn't he? And I'm glad that everyone understands Angel's jealously, I was worried I might anger some people with that. Thanks for reviewing, updates sooner next time! And yes, I know how you feel. The internet hates me, too.

**nina:** I just love everyone's reactions to Chad! Is it odd that I really like that everyone hates my character...oh well! That's what I was going for! Angel and Jerry are going to be in it more, I promise. They have roles yet to play. Thanks so much! Sorry for the slow update!


	10. In Which The Investigation Continues

AN: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your reviews. I'm very, _very_ close to finishing the story now. I just finished chapter twelve, and I'm thinking there's only going to be fourteen chapters total (which, on a side note, is amazing for me considering the longest story I've ever written _and_ finished was five chapters). The big suprise is that I _still_ like the way it's going, and I'm hoping it's going to stay that way until I finish it! And don't worry, those of you who are concerned about the lack of Jack in this chapter and the last...we'll definitely hear a whole lot more from him before the story is finished. Anywho, thanks again for reading and for all your wonderful reviews! I give you chapter ten.

* * *

"Alright, Bobby, you've got one hell of a lot of explaining to do."

Bobby slammed the front door behind him, stalking angrily into the living room and throwing himself down onto the couch, his face twisted in frustration. Jerry just stood in front of him, arms crossed, eyes questioning and more than a little irritated.

"What the fuck do you wanna know, Jerry?" Bobby asked quietly, although his voice was harsher than intended as he leaned forward against his knees, staring past Jerry into the hallway. Jerry just threw his hands in the air, beginning to pace in front of the couch.

"Oh, I don't know, let's start with the guy you held at _gunpoint_!" His tone was laced with sarcasm as he glared at Bobby. Bobby shook his head, leaning into the cushions and resting his head against the back of the couch.

"He's supposedly Jack's _friend_," he answered, the word "friend" drenched in obvious bitterness. "But the piece of shit sold him out. He fuckin' handed him over to John Davis."

"Uh huh," Jerry nodded. "And...who's John Davis?"

"His foster father," Bobby spat. When Jerry kept staring at him without a reaction, Bobby continued. "The _reason_ Jack ran away. That asshole...he fuckin' abused him."

Jerry's stopped pacing, eyes narrowing as he faced Bobby. "He beat him?"

"Yeah...and more."

It took a minute for Jerry to fully understand the meaning behind Bobby's words, but when realization sank in, he dropped heavily next to Bobby on the couch. "You don't mean..."

"I do mean," Bobby replied, and Jerry couldn't recall the last time he'd heard Bobby sound so helpless. Like he'd failed at something extremely important. "And now Jack's back there with him..."

"Do you know where he lives?"

"Fuck, no," Bobby scowled. "Chad would know, but that little piece of shit ain't gonna tell me nothin' after today."

"Not after you went and pointed a gun at his ass, he's not," Jerry reprimanded. "He probably thinks you're tryin' to hunt Jack down and kill him or some shit."

"I don't give a fuck. He seemed like an idiot, anyways."

"We'll call the police then," Jerry stated resolutely. "They'll be able to find..."

"We're not callin' the damn police, Jerry," Bobby said, shaking his head. "What good is that gonna do?"

"They'll know where to find him. They'll know where John Davis lives and..."

"And what?' Bobby asked, getting to his feet and standing in front of Jerry with outstretched arms. "Do you know who I am? I'm Bobby fuckin' Mercer, Jerry. You think they're gonna believe a single word I say?"

Jerry sighed. "Come on, Bobby, they can't just ignore evidence because they don't like you, because you got in trouble a few times."

"What evidence, Jerry? What evidence?" Bobby's voice raised a notch as his exasperation grew. "I've got the word of a sixteen year old kid and my own goddamn intuition. From what they know, everything Jack said could be a lie."

"But John..."

"John is still his fuckin' foster father!" Bobby resisted the urge to punch the wall behind him, instead clenching his fist on his palm as he sneered. "That piece of shit still _owns_ Jack as far as the cops are concerned."

"Jack could..."

"Jack can't do anything right now! He's in the hands of that fuckin' pervert!"

"Bobby." Jerry stood up, placing his hands on Bobby's shoulders in an attempt to calm him. "If you don't settle down, you're not gonna be able to help anyone."

"Oh, I'm gonna help him," Bobby insisted, pulling away from Jerry. "When I get my hands on that son of a bitch John Davis, I'm gonna..."

"And how are do you suppose you're gonna do that?" Jerry interrupted. "By holding up every goddamn person in Detroit until you find the one you want?"

"If that's what it takes." Bobby suddenly looked towards the stairs, a flash of remembrance in his eyes. "But I'm thinkin' it'll only take one."

Jerry looked at him curiously. "Who?"

Bobby just grabbed his keys, heading towards the door once again. "Come on, we're goin' to the library."

"Whoa, whoa." Jerry shook his head, staying planted firmly in the same position. "Bobby, I can't just run around Detroit with ya'll lookin' for this kid. Hell, I've got kids of my own. I got a family to take care of, a routine to follow. They're counting on me."

"Yeah, and Jack's counting on me." When Jerry shook his head again without a reply, Bobby just shrugged. "Fine. I'll do it myself."

"No you won't," Jerry argued. "I'm not gonna be held responsible when you land your ass in jail. Someone's going with you."

"Oh, yeah? Like who?"

"Like Angel." Bobby snorted, and Jerry glared at him. "Come on, Bobby. If this shit turns ugly, you gotta have someone there watchin' your back."

"And what am I supposed to say to Angel, huh?" Bobby asked, extremely skeptical. "Hey, man, you wanna go running around Detroit with me looking for the kid you hate?"

"Just ask him..."

"He's not gonna do it, Jerry!"

"What am I not gonna do?" a voice suddenly asked from behind them, and Bobby whirled around to find Angel standing in the hallway, blinking at them tiredly. When no one answered, he repeated the question. "_What_ am I not gonna do?"

Bobby glanced over at Jerry, who nodded, then let out a frustrated groan. "Fine. Get your coat, Angel, we're goin' to the library."

Angel shook his head. "Like hell we are. You take yourself to the damn library if you wanna go so much."

"See? What'd I tell ya?" Bobby shot back at Jerry. "Now if no one has anything else to say, I'm..."

"Ask nicely, dumbass," Jerry cut in, looking pointedly over at Angel. "Bobby's going to look for Jack, and he'd really appreciate it if you'd help him out."

"Why should I do that?"

Jerry opened his mouth to speak, but Bobby answered before he had a chance. "Because he's back with his asshole foster father who beats the shit out of him, and I'd rather not leave Jack there to get killed!"

"Because _I_ would rather not have to haul Bobby's ass out of jail at the end of the day," Jerry finished, watching Angel stare blankly at both of them. "Come on, Angel, if you don't wanna do it for Bobby, do it for Jack."

"Don't fuckin' abandon a helpless kid because you're pissed at _me_," Bobby said. "Don't take this out on him. He didn't do a goddamn thing to you."

"Man, I don't even know him..." Angel turned to go back upstairs, but Jerry rushed forward, grabbing his arm.

"Listen," he began, his voice barely above a whisper as he looked Angel straight in the eyes. "If you're not gonna do it for Bobby, and you're not gonna do it for Jack...do it for me. Just go for the ride, keep Bobby from doing something stupid and landing his ass in trouble. You know he's gonna do it on his own, anyways, so just...humor him. Humor me."

Angel took a deep breath, rolling his eyes and nodding at Jerry. "You owe me one," he mumbled, then turned to Bobby as Jerry smacked his shoulder approvingly. "This better not take long. Sofi's makin' me dinner tonight."

"I'll have you back to your La Vida Loca in no time," Bobby insisted, tossing Angel his coat he'd retrieved from the closet. "Get some shoes on."

"Can I ask why we're goin' to the library, of all places?" Angel questioned, sitting down on the couch to reluctantly put on his shoes.

Bobby shook his head. "You'll see when we get there."

* * *

"Excuse me."

The older man sitting at the counter refused to look up, instead keeping his eyes glued on the book in front of him. Bobby looked at Angel, who shrugged, then turned back to the man, clearing his throat. "_Excuse_ me."

"Just one minute," the man replied, staring at his book for a moment longer, eyes flickering across the page, before shutting it. He glanced up at Angel and Bobby suspiciously. "Can I help you gentlemen?"

"Maybe. You might remember a kid who came in here a couple days ago, he checked out a..."

"I've been off all week," the man said shortly, grabbing his book and beginning to open it back up again. "You might want to try back tomorrow, when someone else is working."

"Well, you see, I kinda need this information today," Bobby said, leaning forward against the counter. "I'm sure you can help me out with this, it won't take too long."

"Very well," the man said, pushing the book aside and putting on a pair of glasses. He entered something into the computer, then stared at Bobby impatiently. "What's the name of the book?"

"Oh, it's not a book I'm looking for," Bobby responded. "It's a person."

"A person?"

"The name's Jack Davis," Bobby said, tapping the computer with his finger. "If you could just look him up on this little thing here and give me the address that pops up..."

"I'm sorry, sir," the man shook his head, "but I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable giving you that information without Jack Davis' library card or without him present."

"Oh, you're not comfortable?" Bobby asked, looking at Angel again. "You hear that? He's not comfortable." Bobby turned back to the librarian, suddenly holding a gun and pointing it over the counter. "Comfortable now?"

"What are you..." the man sputtered, backing away from the desk, but Angel ran around and grabbed his shoulders, stopping him from retreating. "You can't do this! You can't..."

"I can do whatever the hell I want," Bobby informed him. "Now you're gonna go with my brother, and you're gonna show him some books in the back he might be interested in while I find the information I need. Got it?"

"I can't...can't let you do this!" the man panted, and Bobby sighed, looking around to make sure the library was deserted. When he turned back to the librarian, he leaned forward, pushing the gun closer to the man's face. The man gasped, becoming pale as he stared at the weapon.

"I wouldn't push the issue right now," Bobby murmured, his voice dangerously low. "The odds really aren't in your favor. So right now, you're gonna take my brother to the back and find him something interesting to read. Okay?"

Before the man had a chance to answer, Angel lifted him off the chair and dragged him away, Bobby pointing the gun at him the whole time. When they disappeared behind a shelf, Bobby made his way around the desk, sitting down at the computer and looking at the screen. He typed Jack's name in the search box, pressing enter and waiting for the results.

What he saw surprised him. The screen told Bobby that Jack had only created his account two days ago, when he'd checked out the parallel universe book. However, when he scrolled down to see Jack's address, the street name and number looked very familiar. 76 Oak Street. _That's my address..._

Bobby blinked, typing Jack's name in the search box and clicking enter again. When the results popped up, the same address was shown. _But why would Jack write down my address? He only stayed there a couple of days..._

Realizing that he had no time to stop and figure it out, he moved on to his next plan, clicking on the search box and typing in John Davis' name. His information appeared on the screen, and Bobby scrolled down, seeing that the last time John Davis had checked out a book had been four years ago. _This might not even be his address anymore..._

Despite his skepticism, Bobby wrote the address down on a slip of paper, tucking it into his pocket and closing out of John Davis' information on the computer. He stood up, walking over to a row in the back to find Angel holding the librarian up against the bookshelf, clasping the man's hands behind his back. When Bobby gave him a curious look, he shrugged.

"He needed some...restraining," Angel said, and Bobby nodded, walking closer to the man and leaning his hand against the shelf.

"We appreciate your cooperation," he said, but the man stayed silent, obviously afraid of Bobby and the gun he carried. "We're gonna leave now, and we suggest that you go back to your work and not mention what happened here to anyone. Can you do that for us?" When the man didn't reply, Angel jerked him forward, his cheek digging into the metal shelf.

"I can!" the man whispered hoarsely. "Just leave!"

"Alright then," Bobby motioned for Angel to let go, and the man backed away, rubbing his face. "Thanks for your time."

Angel and Bobby turned their backs on the man, walking out of the library without so much as a glance back in the librarian's direction. When they were safely outside, Angel leaned over and asked, "You got anything?"

"I got an address," Bobby said as they walked to the car. "I don't know if it's good or not, but it's a start."

Angel nodded, and they traveled the rest of the way to the car in silence. When they'd both slipped into their respective seats, and Bobby had started the engine, Angel spoke again. "Think he'll call the cops?"

"Fuck if I know," Bobby shrugged, pulling out onto the road. He got the address out of his pocket, looking at it again before handing it to Angel. "158 East Washington...do you know where that is?"

Angel took the paper, studying it for a moment. "I had a military buddy who lived that way. It's a couple minutes down the road."

Bobby nodded. "Your buddy still live there?"

"He's dead."

Bobby remained silent, staring fixedly at the road as Angel turned his gaze toward the window. They let the heavy silence linger between them for a couple of minutes, until Bobby spoke up. "Listen, Angel, if I've been distracted lately..."

"Forget it," Angel mumbled, but Bobby shook his head, continuing.

"No, really...I'm not tryin' to make your shit seem less important, you know that, right?" Angel shrugged, still gazing out the window with empty eyes. "Well I'm not. I've just got so much shit goin' on right now, first with Jerry, and now with Jack...and I've had a lot to deal with, you know? It's not that I don't care about your shit, and I do appreciate you helping me out with this."

"I'm doin' it for Jerry."

"Angel, come on," Bobby said, looking over at Angel who, in turn, refused to look back. "How long you gonna be pissed at me about this?"

"As long as you're still bein' an asshole."

"Am I bein' an asshole right now?" When Angel didn't answer, Bobby shook his head. "We'll talk tonight, okay? We'll figure out what's goin' on here, and then we'll talk tonight, and I promise to listen to whatever it is you got to say. Alright?"

Angel looked at him doubtfully. "You work tonight."

"I'll call in sick."

"I got dinner with Sofi."

"Then _after_ that."

Angel nodded, finally pleased with Bobby's answer. "Fine."

"Okay," Bobby said, relieved that Angel had agreed to start working things out. He leaned down to look closer out the front window, spotting the sign for East Washington and turning onto it. "Look for 158. It's on this street somewhere."

He drove slowly down the street, examining every house and every mailbox until Angel spotted number 158, a small, run down, abandoned looking house near the end of the street. They pulled up in front of the yard, and Bobby shut off the engine, staring at the house with a deadly glint in his eye. "I'm gonna kill that motherfucker if he's in there..."

"Looks like no one's home," Angel commented, leaning forward for a closer look. "No lights on, no cars out...nothin'."

"Yeah, well, I'm not taking any chances," Bobby said, opening the door and stepping out onto the street, making his way to the back of the car and opening the trunk. There was nothing there but a gas can, a rusty crowbar, and his other gun, wrapped in a cloth in the back corner. As he reached for the gun, his eyes lingered on the gas can, and suddenly a voice popped into his head.

_We're gonna do that gas thing?_

_Jack_, Bobby thought, instantly recognizing the voice. Jack's voice sounded different, though...older, deeper, filled with more...something. _Fear, maybe?_ Bobby shook his head, reaching past the gas can and grabbing the gun. He unwrapped it, but his eyes were focused on the crowbar in the other corner.

_What do I...what do I get?_

"Bobby!"

Bobby looked up at Angel, who was standing next to the car, staring at him like he was crazy. "You comin'?" Angel asked, and Bobby nodded, taking one last look at the contents of the trunk before shutting it.

"Sorry, man," Bobby said, handing the gun to Angel, who took it and inspected it carefully. "It's loaded, so be careful."

Angel nodded, tucking it into his waistband like Bobby's, then glancing back up at the house. "You ready?"

"Fuck yeah," Bobby replied, and together they walked up to the front door, pausing outside. "Should we knock?"

Angel shook his head, reaching out and turning the doorknob, finding it locked. Without saying a word, he grabbed his gun, stepped back, took aim, and fired once at the doorknob. He then kicked the door open, looking over at Bobby with a small smirk. "After you."

"You learn that shit in the military?" Bobby asked, but Angel just shrugged. Bobby took a step into the house and looked around. Suddenly, Angel's speculation that no one was in the house seemed extremely plausible. There was hardly any furniture, and a thin sheet of dust covered anything that had been left behind. The two brothers searched the house cautiously for a couple of minutes, making sure that no one was hiding in a closet or a dark corner, before reuniting in the kitchen.

"Nothin'?" Angel asked, and Bobby shook his head.

"Nothing at all," he replied, looking around the empty kitchen. "Looks like no one's been in here for a while." He ran his finger across the table, drawing a line in the dust. "Damn it."

"Wait a sec," Angel said, walking over the other side of the kitchen and squatting down. Visible next to the refrigerator was a small slip of paper. Angel picked it up and read it, looking at Bobby with wide eyes. "This might be of interest."

"Lemme see," Bobby insisted, and Angel handed him the paper. Bobby read the text out loud. "VS at 24 Sul."

"You don't think..."

"What other VS's do you know, Angel?" Bobby asked angrily, shoving the paper into his pocket. "It's gotta be Victor Sweet. Which means that son of a bitch Davis..."

"Don't jump to conclusions, Bobby," Angel said, still crouching by the refrigerator. "It don't look like anyone's been in here in a while. And this don't automatically mean that Davis is workin' for Sweet _now_."

"It's too much of a coincidence." Bobby shook his head. He leaned down next to Angel, inspecting the area where the slip of paper had been found. "That paper hasn't been here long. Look." He pointed down to the floor. "There's no lines in the dust. If the paper was there for a while, there'd be lines in the dust around it. And...look there." He pointed to a trail of footprints in the dust that tracked from the kitchen to the back door.

Angel looked up at him, grinning in spite of himself. "When did you get so goddamn smart?"

"You missed a lot while you were gone, little brother," Bobby said, patting Angel on the back before standing straight again. "No, this ain't a coincidence. This Davis bastard is workin' for Sweet."

"Then why is the house abandoned?"

Bobby shrugged. "Maybe the cops got suspicious, started diggin' around, and he got the hell out before someone could find out what's goin' on. He's been here recently, though."

"Maybe," Angel said, standing up and leaning against the counter. "But how are we supposed to find out where he is now?"

"I have no idea, Angel," Bobby rubbed the back of his neck, frustrated. He looked at his watch, shaking his head. "Better get you home for your dinner date."

"Right," Angel said, sounding somewhat disappointed as he followed Bobby out of the house. They drove home in silence, both thinking over the clues they'd found in John Davis' house. When they arrived back at their own home, Evelyn was there to greet them at the door, a scowl on her face.

"I want an explanation right now, Bobby," she said angrily, and Bobby pushed past her into the kitchen, sinking down into a chair at the table and resting his chin in his hand. Angel avoided the kitchen entirely, running upstairs to get ready for his dinner with Sofi.

"What d'ya mean?" Bobby asked wearily.

"I _mean_," she began, looming over Bobby at the table, "that Lieutenant Green showed up here today, asking if you were involved in some incident at the library. He said he got a call from the librarian there, claiming that two men came in and _threatened_ him for information."

Bobby shrugged. "I dunno what you're talkin' about, Ma."

"Bullshit!" Evelyn exclaimed. "Green said he has reason to suspect that you _were_ involved. I want to know what's going on, Bobby."

"Ma, please," Bobby stood, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I've got it under control. It's just a thing I gotta take care of." He kissed her on the cheek, then made his way over to the phone. "I'm not goin' to work tonight."

"And why not?"

"Me and Angel are talking," he said, dialing the number for the bar, and Evelyn shot him a disappointed look. He opened his mouth to argue, but a voice on the other end of the phone cut him off.

"O'Malley's."

"Hey, Dylan, it's Bobby. Listen, man, I can't make it into work tonight."

"Thanks for the early notice."

Bobby chuckled. "No problem. You'll find someone to cover."

"I always do. By the way, someone left a message for you today. Some guy named Chad Robinson."

Bobby stiffened. "What's the message?"

"You're supposed to go to 24 Sullivan. Victor Sweet says you'll find what you're looking for or some shit."

"Fuck," he whispered harshly. "I gotta go." He slammed the phone down, standing up quickly and hurrying to the stairs. "Angel! Get down here!"

"Bobby Mercer!" Evelyn was suddenly behind him, hands on her hips. "You are _not_ leaving here without giving me an explanation!"

"Sorry, Ma, I can't right now," Bobby said impatiently, leaning around the banister and looking for Angel.

"You will if you know what's good for you," Evelyn insisted, but Bobby shook his head, turning to his mother.

"You gotta trust me on this one. It's about Jack."

Suddenly her eyes softened. "Jack? Is he alright?"

"No, he's not," Bobby said as heard Angel coming down the stairs. "He's not, but I'm gonna take care of it, okay? Just trust me."

"I do trust you, sweetheart," Evelyn assured. "But I worry about you. I don't want you doing anything dangerous that's going to get you into trouble." She paused, seemingly fighting an internal battle, before grabbing Bobby's hand and patting it gently. "Just...be _careful_, Bobby."

"I will, Ma, I will. Go ahead, go make dinner now," he said as Angel landed at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a nice striped shirt and a pair of clean jeans. Evelyn turned to go into the kitchen, giving the boys their privacy.

"What?" Angel asked, looking back and forth between Bobby and Evelyn's retreating form.

"I just got a message from Dylan at the bar, says Chad Robinson delivered it," Bobby said, and noticing Angel's confused glance, elaborated. "The shithead who turned Jack over to John Davis."

"What'd it say?"

"It says that whatever I'm lookin' for is at 24 Sullivan. Guess who it's from?"

Angel leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "Davis?"

Bobby shook his head. "I wish...try Victor Sweet."

"You mean..." Angel tilted his head upward, trying to remember what the slip of paper had said, "...Davis _is _workin' for Sweet. VS...Victor Sweet."

"And 24 Sullivan. Same as the fuckin' note. Shit," Bobby cursed softly. "We gotta go there, Angel. We can't just leave Jack with those two fuckers."

"I know, Bobby, but..." Angel ran his hand along the banister, staring at it thoughtfully, "what does Sweet want with you? I mean...it's gotta be a set up."

"Fuck, of course it is," Bobby said, turning and folding his arms across his chest. "It's my fuckin' fault. Victor Sweet and his guys started messing with Jerry's business, and I got...involved. He thinks I know too much."

"He's usin' Jack to get to you, then," Angel said, leaning up against the wall. Bobby nodded. "For negotiations."

Bobby snorted. "He doesn't wanna negotiate. He's wants to bring me there and fuckin' kill me, is what he wants."

"You can't go there. It's a trap. He's gonna have a whole shit load of guys waitin' to shoot your ass the minute you walk in the front door."

"You don't think I know that, Angel!" Bobby yelled, whirling around and pounding the wall with his fist. "But what the hell am I supposed to do? I can't leave Jack there to get _molested_ by that piece of shit and killed by Sweet!"

Angel nodded, sighing and running a hand over his head. "I'll call Sofi."

"For what?"

"To tell her I'm not makin' it to dinner tonight," he said flatly, moving to walk back upstairs. "You better think of something good by the time I get back, or you're gonna get both our asses killed."

Bobby watched Angel continue up the stairs, feeling a brief wave of thankfulness wash over him. _He's pissed at me, and he's still comin'._ With the thankfulness, though, came a sudden sense of guilt. _Sweet took Jack to get to me, so I'm putting Angel in danger to save him...who the hell else can I fuck up? _Bobby looked into the kitchen, seeing Evelyn standing at the counter, chopping up some vegetables. He smirked. _She always cooks when she's nervous_.

"Got a plan yet?" Angel asked as he came back down the stairs, wearing his coat and a black hat as he bounded to the ground floor. Bobby shook his head.

"Looks like we're wingin' it," he said dejectedly. Suddenly, a cold feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. In his mind, an image appeared. He was standing in a gymnasium watching a basketball game, Jerry and Angel at his sides, an older, taller Jack behind him. Jerry's voice rang in his ears, followed by his own.

_What's the plan, Bobby?_

_We're wingin' it, Jerry._

"Jerry," Bobby whispered, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "That's it."

"What's it?" Angled asked, but Bobby didn't answer, instead running into the kitchen and picking up the phone. "Bobby, what the hell are you doin'?"

"Shh!" Bobby shot back, dialing a number and placing the receiver up to his ear, looking back at Angel. "I've got a plan."

* * *

**Dicefreak:** Thanks! I love suspense so much, and I'm glad I'm doing a decent job of building it up. I also had a lot of fun writing Jerry, and I'm glad you thought I did a good job writing him as well! Thanks so much for the compliment about Chad...I wanted so badly to write a scumbag, and I'm so happy that that's how he comes across! Thanks again for reading!

**rekirika: **Of course I won't tell you, then you wouldn't have to read the rest, and that's no fun for either of us, lol! Thanks, I'm glad you think my characterization is accurate. I just loved Jerry's interaction with the brothers in the movie, the ways he was sort of the voice of reason and the level headed one, and it was fun writing that. Ah, my opinion on Mercer sister fics...well, I personally don't read them, and here's why: I completely fell in love with the dynamic of the brothers' relationship in the movie, and I think that sister fics kind of disrupt that relationship a little. They're just not my cup of tea...not to offend anyone who writes sister fics. I think that they should be written because they do have an audience who likes them and enjoys them...I just personally am not a part of that audience. I do think that this fandom deserves to be bigger. The movie was very character driven, and with a movie like that you have more room to explore the lives of the characters in totally new plots (like I am!). Thanks for reviewing!

**Miroku loves Mel 4 ever: **Thank you very much, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Next update coming soon!

**Sparks Diamond: **Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! I'm probably still killing you with the suspense in this chapter, eh? Sorry bout that! Next chapter soon!

**Ophelia Hyde: **We did have a fantastic time! I love Chicago. Thank you very much! You don't know how happy I am that you guys are complimenting me on my characterization. My hard work is paying of, so thanks for that! I loved writing Jerry, because he gets to be the voice of reason, and I think Bobby definitely needs one of those. Protective Bobby is my hero...Your theories are wonderful, dear, keep 'em coming! Chad definitely thinks he's hot stuff, which is funny considering he isn't the brightest bulb. Thank you so much! You don't know how much that compliment means to me! I created Chad to be generally slimy, but not altogether evil, and I'm happy he came off that way. Thanks so much for your review!

**Minka: **Chad does, indeed, abuse the right to be stupid. Poor guy...My reasoning for Bobby not getting Davis' adress from Chad is this (and yes, there is a reason, lol): I think that Bobby was caught off guard by Chad's revelation that Jack was with John, and Bobby struck me as one of those hit first, ask later sort of guys. His uncontrollable temper got the better of him, and by the time he sits down and thinks things through, it's too late to ask the obvious questions. But that's just my internal understanding of Bobby, perhaps yours is different...in that case, I needed the library plot point for later in the story! I might have to check out your LotR stories, I haven't read one in so long. I just got so tired of the warped characterization of it all. Another update should be coming soon, where we'll finally hear from Jack! Thanks for reviewing!

**anime-queen46:** Next update coming soon! Thanks for reviewing!

**GavinVenom: **I'm glad everyone thinks he's a scumbag, that's what he's supposed to be, so thanks very much! Don't apologize for not reviewing, its quite alright! I'm glad anyone's reading this story at all, lol! I'm sorry the wait is unbearable, I'll try to update as soon as possible! Thanks again!

**jill: **Well, I'm glad you didn't die! Trust me, Bobby's definitely doing his best to help Jack! Yeah, poor Chad...so clueless. Next update coming soon, thanks for reviewing!

**sara: **Thanks you very much! I'm glad this story is keeping your interest!

**Houser's girl: **Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it! That's such a compliment! I'll be writing more soon!

**Rogue21493: **No problem, I appreciate any reviews I get! Yeah, something really crazy is going on with the alert system, because I haven't been getting anything, either. Weird. It sucks a lot. I'm glad you liked the last few chapters! I'll hurry up and keep writing so I can update! Hmm, calling Bobby on me...is that a threat or a promise? Hehe. I have such a fangirlish crush on Mark Wahlberg. Thanks for reviewing!

**Brittney Rose: **Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Jack is quite the doll, isn't he? Next update coming soon, thanks again for reviewing!

**Skydance1110: **Thank you, I'm really glad you like it! Don't worry, there will be all kinds of Jack in the next chapter...and until the end of the story, in fact. We'll learn more about him. And we are going to see Chad again before the story is over...you'll just have to wait and see how that goes! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!


	11. In Which A Life Or Two Is Threatened

N: So I have good news and bad news. The good news first: I only have one more chapter to write before I finish the story and can post the rest of the chapters at a quicker pace! The bad news: I have no idea when I'm going to get the last chapter written, because I'm going back to school tomorrow, and classes start up again on Tuesday. Don't worry, I won't keep you guys waiting around for chapters while I try and write the last one, and I'm _planning_ on getting it written within the first week, when I don't have very much homework to deal with. However, if there's a delay in posting, that's why (although I'm going to try my very best not to delay anything). Secondly, when this story is finished, I do plan on staying and writing some more in the Four Brothers fandom. However, because of school, I"ll probably be writing one-shots more than anything. I do have some good ideas already, though, and I can't wait to start writing them. If anyone else has any ideas for one-shots that they'd like to see written, just drop me a line, and I'll see what I can do. Lastly, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your reviews. You readers are seriously too much. I love you.

Okay, that's it. Here is your chapter!

* * *

It took Jack a few long, confused moments after waking to figure out whether his eyes were open or closed. He felt the tell-tale fluttering of his eyelids in the first couple seconds, after the sleepy fog lifted from his mind, but his world remained pitch black no matter how his eyes moved. His initial reaction was panic, thinking that perhaps he'd gone blind without realizing when or how, but he forced himself to calm down, taking deep breaths and focusing on recalling what had happened...

"John." His voice was a frenzied whisper, the panic returning in full force. _I'm not blind, but this might be worse._

Jack sat up quickly, feeling the blood rush to his head as he wrapped his arms around his knees. His mind was slow in recalling what had happened, but he sat still for a couple of minutes, letting his brain catch up to the rest of him as he went through the day's events in his mind.

After leaving Chad's, he remembered John's firm grip on the back of his neck, leading him to the old truck that was sitting in the driveway. He'd been too scared to speak, and he'd known that running for it was out of the question. _He's a lot bigger, a lot stronger...I'd have never made it._ In the truck, Jack had pressed himself to the window, trying to stop himself from trembling as John remained silent, starting the engine and pulling out onto the road. Most of the ride had been dead quiet, John refusing to speak and Jack too afraid to make a sound.

However, Jack had suddenly realized that they'd passed John's house, and were now driving out of the city. He'd tried to form a question, resulting only in a small, confused noise in the back of his throat, but John had lashed out, slapping Jack across the cheek with the back of his hand.

"_Shut the hell up, you fuckin' ungrateful little bastard!"_

Jack winced, touching his cheek softly in remembrance._ If that'd been all there was,_ he thought wishfully. _But it definitely wasn't._ John had driven for quite a long distance, until he'd pulled onto a gravel road, the mailbox at the end reading 24 Sullivan. As they'd driven up the long driveway, Jack had experienced an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. _No one's ever going to find me here._

The house was a normal size, but was sitting on a rather large piece of land, so that it was secluded and a good distance from any houses around it. When John had pulled up to the house, he'd shut off the engine violently, jumping out of the truck and slamming the door with all his might. After that, he'd dashed around to the passenger's side, wrenching open Jack's door and pulling him out with such force that Jack had stumbled out of the truck, tripping and falling to the ground. John hadn't said a word, just hauled Jack to his feet and pushed him along towards the house.

Inside, John had immediately forced him through the door and down the staircase that led to the cellar, a cold, damp, extremely dark room that looked as if it hadn't been inhabited in years. He'd thrown Jack to the ground, and when Jack had fallen to his knees with a muffled cry of pain, the beatings began.

Jack let out a small whimper, burying his head in his arms. The beatings had been worse than he'd remembered, and he blamed that on both John's newly acquired strength, and his lack of practice in defending himself. He winced again, feeling the bruises developing on his back as blood dried and caked to the fresh wounds. His arms were stiff, his legs tired and shaky, and his stomach was in knots. John's words rang through his ears, reopening mental scars that had only just begun to heal.

"_Goddamn it, Jack! You worthless piece of shit! I spent too many fuckin' years of my life on you for you to turn out like this. You're a selfish fuck, you always were! I gave you a home, and you turned your fuckin' back on the only person that ever cared and ever will care about you! You're worthless, you hear me! Worthless! No one wants you, no one will ever want you except me! Goddamn it, you ungrateful son of a bitch! I'm the only one that loves you, and you're so goddamn stupid that you can't see that!"_

_At least they were only beatings,_ Jack tried to reassure himself, but it hurt all the same. The words were painful, and Jack couldn't help but think that, perhaps, they were true. _No one's ever wanted me. The Robinsons didn't want me, Chad kicked me out, Bobby...has his own family. Chad even said that I was ungrateful...maybe I am._

The turning of a doorknob shook Jack out of his mental stupor, and he looked up to see a light coming from the top of the stairs. His hands began to shake, his stomach twisting nervously. _He's coming. Not again..._

"Jackie-boy," John called, his voice dripping with twisted humor. "You awake?"

Jack clenched his eyes shut, trying to find his voice as his throat swelled. He didn't want to answer, but he knew that John would come down regardless. _I don't want to find out the penalty for lying._ "Yeah," he managed to say, his voice barely louder than a whisper. John apparently heard him, though, because Jack heard his footsteps on the stairs. Listening closely, Jack heard another pair of footsteps as well, sounding larger and heavier than John's.

"I've got someone I'd like you to meet," John drawled as he reached the bottom of the stairs, flipping on a light switch that bathed the room in a dingy yellow glow. Jack forced his eyes open slowly, and what he saw made him nauseous, a new fear sparking within him.

He was immediately familiar with the man standing before him, even though he'd only seen him once, and he'd never heard him speak his own name. It seemed so long ago to Jack, now. He'd been sitting at a bar after a show, talking to a bartender he'd never met but knew all the same, and the man at the end of the bar with the big white coat gave him the chills. He knew his name...

Victor Sweet.

"Mmmhmm," Victor murmured, staring at Jack with a threatening smile on his face. "Jack Davis. I am _certainly_ happy to see you." He paused for a moment, watching Jack's trembling form, before breaking into a wide grin. "Boy, do you know who I am?"

Jack nodded. "Victor," he whispered, moving his eyes to stare fixedly at the floor. "Victor Sweet."

Victor laughed, looking back at John with humor in his eyes. "Damn, John, you raised this boy right. And you told me he wasn't smart."

"He has his moments," John shrugged, staring at Jack with an odd glint in his eye. Jack shivered, a chill running down his spine.

Victor nodded, rubbing his hands together anxiously. "So, when does this little business deal go down tonight?"

"The message was set to be delivered at eight," John said formally, mentally reciting the information he knew. "I have the van comin' in at eight thirty. I also have three guys on reserve upstairs, in case somethin' goes wrong. Right now it's," he paused, raising his arm to look at his watch, "seven."

"Good, good," Victor said, continuing to nod. "I already paid my new piece of ass for tonight, so this shit better happen on time. I do _not_ wanna miss out on that." He looked back down at Jack, smirking. "You sure are a quiet thing. You don't wanna say nothin' to me?"

Jack looked up at Sweet, gathering all the courage he had and swallowing hard. "Why am I here?"

Victor let out a bark of laughter. "What, your daddy didn't tell you?" He looked at John, who only shrugged sluggishly, then turned back to Jack. "You make any new friends lately?"

_Bobby,_ Jack thought immediately, but stayed silent, refusing to move or speak.

"We had a lot of luck, findin' you," Victor continued. "I sent John back home for the first time in months, for _one _hour...and look what fell into our laps. A little phone call from a certain friend of yours, and suddenly we're up and runnin'. You like our new establishment here?"

Jack didn't speak, his head spinning. _What is he talking about?_

"Why don't you tell your boy what you do now?" Victor said to John. "Make him proud, show him what a real man...a smart man...does for a living."

John nodded, stepping up to stand next to Victor. "I just investigate whatever Vic tells me to."

"You sell yourself short, man!" Victor exclaimed, clapping John roughly on the back. "You're the best damn spy I got. That little one room shack you've been livin' in is history after this deal goes through. This place is yours, brother."

John smiled, but Jack could tell it was forced, as Victor grinned widely. "I sent John away for a little while, back to his old house to wait while I relocated. He got the phone call, formed a plan, and I told him to bring you here."

"Why?" Jack croaked. _This isn't making any sense._

"Why?" Victor repeated, chuckling. He looked over at John, who chuckled as well. "Why? I'll tell ya why...because Angel's been gone and Jeremiah is too goddamn smart, that's why." At the bewildered look on Jack's face, Victor laughed harder. "I've had John spyin' on Bobby Mercer for weeks, tryin' to figure out the best way to get to him. You caused quite the commotion in his bar the other night, and I got a hunch that you could be of some use to me."

"What?" Jack couldn't think of anything else to say. His mind was reeling. _Bobby? What does Victor Sweet want with Bobby? And what do I have to do with this?_

"Bobby's too nosy for his own good," Victor said with a scowl. "I run a very...private business. I don't like too many people diggin' around in shit that they ain't supposed to be diggin' around in. So when I offered to help Jeremiah Brown with his own business, and he refused, Bobby took it upon himself to...assess the situation. Now, I've given him fair warning to back off, but you know, some boys just do not listen."

"I saw you and Bobby talking at the bar, saw you two leave together. When this Chad fella called John, sayin' that you two had been spending some time together, I knew I had to take a chance. If Bobby Mercer won't quit on his own, I'm sure he'll be open to...negotiations. That's where _you _come in." Victor squatted down to Jack's level, resting his arm on his knee. "You don't think Bobby'd come here if I left him a little message, do you?"

Jack's eyes widened, his insides churning. "Why...why would he come here?"

"He wouldn't be lookin' for anything, would he? Or...anyone?" At Jack's silence, Victor stood. "Bobby Mercer's a smart guy. If I sent him a message saying that somethin' he's looking for is here, with me...do you think he'll figure out what's missing?"

_Oh, God, _Jack thought. _He doesn't mean..._

"We won't need you to do much," Victor said. "And I'm sure Bobby will understand what _he_ has to do when he gets here. If everything goes right, you should be safe and sound with your daddy in a couple of hours. And Bobby...let's just say Bobby will think twice about messin' around with my shit again." He paused, smiling. "Or else he won't be thinkin' at all."

_Won't be thinking...no._ The meaning of Sweet's words sank in, and Jack felt himself beginning to panic. _Sweet's using me as bait..._

"No," Jack whispered, forcing himself to his feet as Victor headed towards the stairs. "You can't..."

"I don't think you understand, boy," Victor said, turning back around and fixing Jack with a cynical glare. "I can do whatever the hell I want. When Bobby Mercer arrives, a vanload of armed hit men will be waiting for him. If he refuses to negotiate, I'll be forced to take drastic measures. End of story."

Jack stepped forward, opening his mouth to protest again, but a hard fist suddenly connected with the side of his face, sending him stumbling backwards with surprise and pain. He heard Sweet's laughter coming from the stairs, and looked up to see John looming above him, a snarl on his face.

"I'll leave you two to get reacquainted," Victor said. "I'll be upstairs, giving directions to the extras." As he left the cellar, John approached Jack slowly, his lips turning upward in a sinister grin.

"You remember all the fun we used to have, Jackie?" John hissed. Jack rubbed his cheek and backed away as John advanced. "You wanna have some fun again?"

As Jack's back came into contact with the wall, the panic he'd felt moments before abruptly disappeared. Instead, his thoughts were clear, only one objective on his mind: escape. _I won't let this happen. I won't let John do this to me again, and I won't let Bobby come here and get killed for my sake._ His eyes darted around the room, taking in his surroundings as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He noticed a glint of silver coming from John's waistband, realizing that it was a gun. _If I can get the gun and get out of the house...and Victor's upstairs...we're not too far from the road..._

"Remember how we used to have fun?" John practically whispered, reaching out to touch Jack's face with his callused fingers. Jack closed his eyes, shuddering as John's palm cupped his cheek. "Felt good, didn't it?"

"Yeah," Jack breathed, calming himself. _Now or never, now or never..._ "It felt a lot like this." Suddenly, Jack's knee came into contact with John's groin, and John fell to the ground, moaning and cursing. Jack kicked him in the stomach as he curled into himself, eyes clenched in pain. Squatting down and plucking the gun from John's possession, Jack pointed it at the man, hand shaking.

"You son of a bitch," John wheezed, eyes still fixed shut. "You're gonna pay for that."

"No, you're gonna pay for everything you did to me!" Jack said loudly, keeping the gun pointed at John's head. "When I get out of here, I'm going straight to the cops. With everything I'm gonna tell 'em, your ass will be behind bars for the rest of your life."

"Jack," John struggled to lift himself onto his elbows, his voice now pleading. "You can't do this, son. I love you, you know I do. I would never hurt you on purpose..."

"Yes you would!" Jack yelled, pointing the gun closer to John's face. "You did! Every day for three goddamn years!" He fell silent, glaring at John's pale face, his own eyes watering. Standing up quickly, his wiped at his eyes with one hand, keeping the gun pointed at John with the other. "I'm getting the hell out of here. If you move, I'll shoot you."

"You wouldn't..."

"Try me!" Jack backed toward the stairs. "Just try me, and I swear I'll fuckin' do it!"

John stumbled to his feet, shuffling towards Jack slowly with an outstretched arm. "Please, Jack. Where you gonna go, huh? Who wants to take you in? Come home with me."

"Don't take another step," Jack warned, and John froze. "I'm leaving, I don't care what you say. I _do_ have people that care about me, and I won't let you hurt them like you hurt me."

John snorted. "Who? That Bobby asshole? It's too late for him, Jackie. When Victor wants blood, he gets blood." He moved closer to Jack, hand reaching out again. "Come on..."

Jack's fist connected with John's face, and he fell back to the ground, clutching his nose. Taking the opportunity to catch him off guard, Jack kicked him in the stomach again, and when John was fully curled on the floor, delivered one hard, swift kick to the back of his head. Not waiting around to see if he was unconscious...or even dead...Jack dashed up the stairs.

At the ground floor, Jack looked around carefully, making sure that Victor wasn't nearby, before sprinting for the door. Throwing it open, he dashed into the snow-covered front yard, not looking back at the house. He ran as fast as he could, keeping his eyes locked on the driveway and the road beyond as the wind rushed through his ears. _Just get to the road...someone there can help you. Get to the road. Get to Bobby. Get to the police. Get to..._

He saw a car approaching in the distance, turning off of the main road and onto the gravel driveway. _The hit men? _he thought anxiously as he ran. _Not yet, please not yet. _Jack suddenly felt the gun slide out of his sweat slick hand, dropping to the snow below. He shuffled to a halt, whirling around to pick it up again. However, when he'd turned completely around, his heart almost stopped at what he saw.

A man stood there, his face covered by a hockey mask and a hood over his head. The gun in his hand was pointed straight at Jack, and Jack lifted his hands defensively, eyes wide. _I didn't even hear anyone following me..._

"Go back to the house, and I won't kill you," the man snarled. When Jack opened his mouth to speak, the man cocked the gun, jerking it towards Jack. "_GO_!"

But Jack couldn't move, his legs numb as his entire body felt like it was beginning to freeze. His vision blurred and his mind felt fuzzy, as if his brain was wrapped in a thick fog. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder, and his own voice screamed in his head.

"_Bobby!"_

_He gasped, feeling the cold dampness of the snow seep through his clothes and into his skin. Tears and snot and spit and sweat covered his face, his fingers digging into the pole like it was his lifesaver. All he could think was _pain_ and _Bobby _and_ help.

"_Jack!"_

"_Bobby!"_

_Suddenly, he was lying on his back, Bobby and Angel and Jeremiah surrounding him, and he was dying. He knew he was dying. Blood choked him and pain engulfed him and it was getting so dark and so hard to stay awake..._

"_Don't you die on me, you little fairy!"_

I'm sorry, _he thought._ I have to.

Jack blinked, terrified, staring wide-eyed at the gun that was pointed at him, his head spinning. _I'm gonna die._ Jack had no idea how he knew it, but at that moment, he was positive that this guy, this random hit man, was going to take his life. The man in the hockey mask was going to shoot him, and he was going to die mere minutes later, choking on his own blood in the snow. He closed his eyes, his legs still numb, his shoulder still burning, his throat closing and his chest heaving. He couldn't move. _I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna..._

His muscles clenched in anticipation, his breath coming in shallow gasps, as a gunshot split the silence...

* * *

**Ophelia Hyde: **I'm so glad my update made your day, and I'm so flattered that my little story would have that effect on someone! Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked my characterization again...I always saw Jerry as the peacemaker, so it just made sense that he'd try to fix Bobby and Angel's problems. They're so cute working together, aren't they? I do love my brotherly teamwork! Good work with the theory, I just love to see it when people get it right! And Bobby getting the weird feelings isn't a bad thing, I can assure you. It'll just bring him and Jack closer together (insert love and cuteness here). Ah, my story's a drug, is it? I hope it's a good addiction, then! Like...my addiction to chocolate and Coca Cola...right. Thanks again, babe!

**rekirika: **The gym part had some of the best quotes in it, and the _best_ facial expressions, like Jerry's "what the hell are you doing" face, and Jack's "here we go again" face. I love it. I do have a small bit of first hand experience when it comes to Angel's Iraq situation. My brother in law went to Iraq for a year, and was very different when he came back, and I just can't even imagine what it must have been like. I thought I needed to add something like that to Angel's life, because it's a sad but true reality. No problem, I love answering reviews. It's so much fun! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

**Dicefreak: **Ah, yes indeed, the plot thickens yet again. Perhaps I should water it down a little...then agian, perhaps not. My brother was in the Marines for a while, and he was _strong_, so I would imagine that it would hurt...alot. But hey, if the librarian would have just cooperated, maybe it wouldn't have happened ;) Jerry and Angel are slowly coming around. I think perhaps they'll come around a little more in the next couple of chapters, we'll see. Thank you very much, I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

**Sparks Diamond: **Sorry again about that lack of Jack...I hope this chapter made up for it! As for the suspense...I'm afraid I kind of loaded it on again, didn't I? Whoops. I assure you we haven't seen the last of Chad. I'm glad you liked the weird feeling scenes from the movie, I just had to include them because I loved the movie so much. Thanks, I'm glad you liked it, and don't apologize for the long review. I love them! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

**anime-queen46: **Indeed, the interest does kind of peak in this chapter. I'll update as soon as I can! Thanks for reviewing!

**GavinVenom: **No problem, I like to update as quickly as I can so I don't keep you guys waiting. Fourteen chapters is _definitely_ long for me, as I usually don't write more than one-shots. I'll write some Four Brothers ones, so you'll have those to read when the story is done. I really, really wanted to write a story where all four brothers are invovled, because hey, the move is called _Four_ Brothers, isn't it? I love Bobby and Jack as much as the next fangirl, but we can't forget the other extremely vital parts of their lives. Thanks very much, I'm glad you're enjoying it!

**mackie: **No problem. And thank you so much, I'm really glad you like it! Actually, before I began writing this story, I had it in my mind that I wanted to write a prequel, but this popped out instead. Maybe I'll write one some day...we'll see. And it was my pleasure to answer your review. I love answering reviews so much, because I think that if someone takes the time to comment about my writing, I definitely owe them at least a thank you, if not so much more. So thank you again!

**Minka: **I loved the gym part so much. Interesting that you wrote those lines from the movie there...we'll see if that quote will work it's way into the story somewhere, yeah? Well, this chapter had more Jack in it (it actually had _all_ Jack in it), but I'm afraid you might be left a little on edge again with the eding. My bad. Bobby and Angel are definitely both stubborn, but they're still brothers, and they're still loyal to each other. Don't worry, Davis and Sweet will definitely be regretting what they did to poor Jack. I wrote one LotR story, a _long_ time ago, but it was a Faramir story, because I thought he didn't get nearly enough attention in the fandom. Ack, Mary Sues...the root of all evil, right? Thanks again for reviewing!

**jill: **Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I really appreciate you saying that, I work so hard on my characterization, so thank you! I'll update as soon as possible, I promise!

**pwrhungryjr: **Thank you! Definitely still mysterious...and suspenseful...but that's the way I like it! Thanks for reviewing!

**pen lidden: **Thanks! I'll update as soon as I can! More Jack in this chapter, but I'm afraid a few of your questions weren't really answered by the ending. Next chapter, then! And honestly, I'm not a big fan of supernatural stories either, but this plot just wouldn't leave me alone! Thank you, I'm glad you think it's believeable!

**Skydance1110: **Bobby thinking...I know, right? Of course, I did think the one quote in the movie was very telling..."As bright as Bobby is, he just does not like to think." Or something along those lines. I think that Bobby has quite the temper, and is quick to jump to conclusions, but when he needs to think something through, he will. And don't worry, Jerry'll definitely have some input! Thanks, I'm glad you like it, updating asap!

**stefanie: **I'm glad you're so intrigued, but I'm afraid that the ending of this chapter may leaving you wanting more again. My apologies. Thanks so much! You'll find out Jack's fate in the next chapter!

**Padfoot4ever: **Thank you very much, I'm glad you like it! More coming as soon as I can! And...is your name possibly a Sirius Black reference? (squeals)

**Miroku loves Mel 4 ever: **Thanks, I'm glad you're so interested! I do love Bobby and Angel's relationship, even though they didn't touch much on it in the movie. I thought I'd expand a little, since I figured they'd been much closer than the movie let on. I really thought I needed to add that dynamic...even though they're fighting, they're still so loyal to each other. I love brothers. Thanks again, update coming soon I hope!

**Kuriei137: **Thank you so much, that's such a compliment! I'm really glad you're enjoying it! Characterization is what I work the hardest at, so I'm always glad when someone tells me I'm keeping true to form! Thank you again! Hopefully I'll get the next chapter out soon!

**Ebz: **Don't apologize, it's quite alright! I love any reviews I get! Thanks, I'm glad you liked the past couple of chapters! The next chapter will be coming shortly, I hope!

**liz: **lol, I enjoyed your jumbled letters at the beginning. That's what my friends and I type to each other when we're generally excited about something. I'm glad you liked it, and you didn't actually have to wait too long for an update! Thanks again for reviewing!


	12. In Which A Life Or Two Is Saved

AN: So I finished it! And a lot quicker than I thought I was going to, too. I found out that my new job allows me to sit on my butt for four hours at a time and do absolutely nothing, so instead of using that time to finish homework, I finished this story! Horrible, right? But anyways, I feel so accomplished now that I finished this story, considering how long it is...fourteen chapters, just like I promised, although chapter thirteen and fourteen are pretty big chapters. I really like the way it turned out, I think, and I can't wait for you guys to read the end! The only thing that will delay posting, now, is when I have time to answer reviews, although expect posts every three to five days, I'd say, until it's done! Thanks for all your reviews for the previous chapter, they were wicked awesome! I love you guys so much. I'm going to start writing a series of one-shots after this is all posted, kind of a "between the lines" series that's based on actual dialogue in the movie...you'll see when I start posting them. Anyways, I'll stop rambling now, here's chapter twelve. After this, only two more to go!

* * *

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, body tingling in anticipation of the bullet that was about to tear into his skin. His muscles were taut, legs numb and body shaking as his world tilted around him. The sound of a gun being fired made his stomach convulse violently, and a distressed noise escaped from the back of his throat as he gasped. 

_This is it_, he thought fearfully as he waited for the impact of the bullet against his shoulder. _I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die and I can't do anything about it. I'm gonna..._

"Jack! Get down!"

Jack's eyes flew open, recognizing the voice instantly. In front of him, the man in the hockey mask was doubled over, gagging and clutching his own shoulder. Jack saw blood dripping between his fingers. _The gunshot...it was..._

"Bobby!" Jack screamed, whirling around to find Bobby leaning over the hood of his car, aiming his gun at a point somewhere behind Jack's head. Angel crouched beside him, peering around the bumper of the car, ready to spring into action. "Bobby, no! Get out of here!"

"Get your ass on the ground!" Bobby yelled in reply, cocking his gun and staring straight ahead. Jack didn't listen, instead running towards the car at full speed, chest heaving.

"Bobby, it's an ambush!"

"Get the _fuck_ down!"

Jack rolled to the snow covered ground just as a bullet whizzed past him, striking the car with the resounding _clang_ of metal on metal. He curled his legs into his body, pulling his arms over his head in a useless attempt at protection. More gunshots rang through the air, and Jack winced at the sound.

"Get under the car, Jack! Stay low!" he heard Bobby yell, and pushed himself up onto his elbows, dragging his body through the snow. He rolled under the car, turning around so that he was facing the house, and watched the scene as adrenaline continued to pump through his veins, causing his entire body to tremble. The man in the hockey mask was lying flat on his back, motionless, obviously dead. Another masked man was a little closer to the house, clutching his thigh with one hand while pointing a gun in their direction with the other. Jack heard another gunshot, and suddenly the man was down, blood spilling out of his chest and onto the snow.

"Fuck, I'm outta ammo!" Jack heard Angel curse behind him, watching as the third man, still fairly close to the house, took aim. He fired at Bobby, and Jack watched the bullet fly over his head and out of sight, his breath catching in his throat. The sound of movement assured him that Bobby hadn't been hit, though, as he saw the man take a few steps closer.

A gunshot suddenly came from beside him, and Jack looked up to find Angel firing a shotgun around the front of the car. The shooter, distracted, turned his fire towards Angel, and Bobby took the opportunity to fire a couple more bullets in his direction, striking him on the leg and, more importantly, in the chest. The man dropped to the ground, and Jack heard Angel breathe a sigh of relief next to him.

Jack pushed himself out from beneath the car, careful not to turn his back fully to the house as he ran around to the other side. Bobby grabbed his shoulders, shaking him slightly as he ran his eyes worriedly over Jack's form.

"Are you hurt?" he asked roughly, not meeting Jack's eyes, and Jack shook his head frantically. Bobby, apparently not noticing, shook him again, snapping his head up to look at Jack's face. "Jack!"

"No!" Jack hadn't meant to yell, but his nerves were so frazzled that he felt he had little control over his emotions. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Bobby asked again, his eyes lingering on Jack's shoulder. "You swear to God you're not fuckin' hurt?"

"I promise!" he said, suddenly realizing that he had to warn Bobby about Victor and John, before they came out of the house. "They're still in there. John...and Victor Sweet. Bobby, we gotta get the hell out of here! It's a set up! They're gonna..."

"I know what they're gonna do, Jack," Bobby said, releasing Jack's shoulders and picking up his gun that had dropped to the ground. "How many shooters were there?"

"Only three," Jack said nervously. "Listen, we gotta get out of here before..."

Bobby shook his head. "We got somethin' to take care of first," he said, walking around the front of the car and towards the house, Angel standing and following close behind. Jack blinked at them, stunned, before running after Bobby, grabbing his shoulder.

"Bobby, stop! You can't..."

"Go back to the car, Jack," Bobby shrugged him off, not looking back as he continued walking.

"But you..."

"We've got it under control," Bobby said impatiently. "Trust me. Go wait in the car."

Jack took a deep breath, giving a defeated nod as he backed towards the car. He watched as Bobby and Angel approached the house slowly, mentally begging that they'd be okay, that they'd all come out of this alive, that John was unconscious in the basement and Victor was still upstairs...

_There was a full-blown shootout in the front yard,_ Jack thought in a panic, his mind racing. _There's no way in hell that Victor and John didn't notice. They're probably hiding, waiting for Bobby and Angel to come in..._

Jack spotted the gun he'd dropped next to the man in the hockey mask and raced toward it, picking it up as he ran. _I can't let them go in there by themselves. With three of us, Victor and John will be outnumbered. With only two of them..._

Continuing to the house, Jack dashed past the dead bodies of the shooters, running up through the open front door and into the living room. Neither Angel nor Bobby was there, but a sound coming from the back door made Jack raise his gun in apprehension. He shuffled over to the window, peering out through the curtains. _What the...?_

Outside, Angel was keeping watch, his eyes darting around as he held the shotgun close to his body. Bobby stood next to him, talking to someone that Jack was completely surprised to see._ What the hell is Jerry doing here?_ Jerry held a gun in his hand, his own eyes looking around suspiciously as he leaned towards Bobby, the two of them talking rapidly. _What's going on? Why didn't Bobby tell me that Jerry was here? What are they..._

But Jack's thoughts were suddenly cut off as a hand shot out from behind him, wrapping around his neck and pulling him violently back against a large body. He dropped the gun, realizing that the fingers were painfully familiar against his throat, callused and rough. A hot breath panted against his ear.

"You think you could get away that easily?" John hissed as Jack gagged, his fingers clawing at John's hands as he scrambled to free himself from the man's grip. In response, John wrapped his other arm around Jack's stomach, trapping his arms against his body. He bent his knees, lowering them down to the ground as he reached out to pick up Jack's gun before standing upright again. "You think your little friends could save you? You're fuckin' _wrong_, Jackie. You're _mine_ now."

Jack felt John's fingers remove themselves from his neck, and as something hard and cool rested against his temple, he swallowed thickly. John laughed viciously, arm tightening around Jack. "You think if I threaten to blow your fuckin' brains out, they'll cooperate?" he continued. Jack opened his mouth to yell for help, but John pushed the gun harder against Jack's head. "Don't even think about makin' a goddamn sound, or I'll kill ya, and I'll kill them."

Pressing his lips into a thin line, Jack breathed deeply, his eyes fixed on the back door. _Come on, Bobby. Come on. Get in here. Get in here before Victor..._

The sound of footsteps on the stairs made Jack's stomach drop, his shoulder slumping. He saw Victor Sweet appear at the foot of the steps, looking around cautiously before moving into the living room.

"Good," he said coolly, nodding in John and Jack's direction. "You got the rest of 'em?"

Jack felt John tense behind him. "Not exactly. The shooters are dead."

"Shit," Victor swore, a hint of fury lacing his tone. He shook his head, looking down at the ground for a moment. "Where's Mercer?"

"Right here."

Bobby swaggered through the back door with an air of unwavering confidence, glaring at Victor with obvious hatred as he made his way into the living room. Angel followed at his heels, closing the door behind him and giving Jack a quick glance before turning his attention to Sweet as well. _Where's Jerry?_ Jack thought anxiously. _I know he's here. I saw him. What's he doing?_

"Bobby Mercer," Victor smirked, folding his arms across his chest and approaching Bobby, looking him up and down. "It sure is a surprise to see you here."

"Cut the crap," Bobby said, his gaze refusing to flinch away from Sweet. "What the hell do you want?"

Victor laughed, looking over at John, who had a tight grip on Jack's arms, the gun still resting against his head. "And I thought you were a smart man," he goaded, fixing Bobby with a wicked grin. "How about _you_ tell me what you think I want?"

"I think you wanna kill me," Bobby replied, and Jack was surprised at how calm his voice remained.

"Oh, now you're hurtin' my feelings," Victor said with a shake of his head. "I'm a businessman just lookin' to make a deal. Just like your friend Jeremiah. Only," he paused, chuckling, walking closer to Jack and fixing Bobby with a look of warning, "I think I'm a little more persuasive in my negotiations. Don't you?"

"I want Jack out of the house before I agree to anything," Bobby insisted, glancing over at Jack for the first time since he'd entered the room. "Him and Angel, I want them _gone_ before..."

"Whoa." Victor raised a hand, stopping Bobby in mid-sentence. "Don't you know how a good business deal is run? We gotta exchange some small talk before we get into the strict negotiations. Maybe talk a little about the weather, how your family's doin'...how your mom's doin'."

"Don't you say a fuckin' word about my mother," Bobby growled, losing a little bit of his well-kept composure. "You leave her out of this."

"It's a good thing Jack came along." Victor placed a hand on the back of Jack's head, and Jack stiffened, locking eyes with Bobby. "Otherwise it might be her standin' here instead, and then I'd _really _be concerned for my life. You're a scary man when you're angry." He laughed, releasing his grip on Jack with a slight push to his head. "Or so I've been told."

"Enough of this shit," Bobby spat, still staring at Jack. "I want Jack and Angel out of the house, and then," he looked back at Victor, eyes lethal, "we'll negotiate."

Victor nodded, grinning. "You know, I like the way you do business, Mercer. I mean it, you are a _damn_ fine man to negotiate with. John," he turned toward Jack and his foster father, waving his hand, "go ahead and let Jack go. I'm about tired of him, anyways."

John blinked, surprised, still gripping Jack tightly around the stomach, gun unmoving from Jack's temple. "But Vic, you said..."

"I _said,_ let the boy go," Victor finished, his voice leaving no room for debate. When John didn't budge, Victor moved closer, leaning down to John's ear and lowering his voice. "What are you playin' at? I'm makin' a deal, here, Davis. You want me _lose_ this deal we've been working for?"

"No," John sputtered. "But...Jack...you said that Jack could...he's my son..."

Victor reached over, gripping John by the back of the neck, keeping a close eye on Bobby as he spoke. "And certain sacrifices must be made. Now, let...the boy..._go._" With his final word, Victor squeezed John's neck harder, and John immediately released Jack, pushing him away like he was suddenly diseased. Jack scooted away quickly, shuffling over to Bobby, who rested a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" Bobby asked, searching Jack's eyes with a sort of sereneness that Jack didn't understand. Jack shook his head, hugging himself tightly as his throat began to swell, moisture seeping into the corners of his eyes.

"You can't do this, Bobby," Jack pleaded, his eyes begging as his took in Bobby's expression. _Calm, peaceful, almost like...he's accepting this._ "He's gonna kill you, you can't do this, not for me."

"It's under control, Jack," Bobby assured, resting both his hands on Jack's shoulders. "You gotta trust me on this, okay?"

"No," Jack refused, getting more and more frantic by the second. He looked around, back to where Victor was watching, a smirk still on his face. John stood next to him, eyes blazing, face red with fury. He turned to Bobby, his entire body beginning to tremble. He lowered his voice, so that only Bobby could hear him. "No, no, I won't let you fuckin' do this. You can't, he's gonna kill you. He's got hit men, Bobby, an entire van of hit men coming. You...you..._no_. I'm not gonna...gonna leave you here. It's my fault. You can't...I...I..." He whimpered, looking away from Bobby suddenly as a tear started running down his cheek.

"Jackie," Bobby said softly, wiping the tear away with the palm of his hand. "You gotta go, okay? Trust me. I know what I'm doin'." He fixed Jack with a meaningful look, a secret message behind his eyes that Jack was too flustered to understand. "_Trust_ me."

"Can we hurry this little lovefest up?" Victor cut in, approaching the two impatiently. "I got a schedule to keep here, boys."

"You gotta go, Cracker Jack," Bobby said, raising his voice to a normal level again. He shrugged out of his coat, wrapping it around Jack's shivering shoulders and pushing him towards the door. He looked back at Angel, nodding. "Go on."

Angel nodded in reply, walking around Bobby and taking Jack by the arm, leading him out the front door. Jack walked along numbly, letting Angel close the door and pull him outside in the yard. His mind was racing, a crippling sense of failure threatening to overwhelm him._ It's all my fault. Victor's going to kill him, and it's all my fault._

Jack stopped in his tracks, letting a small sob escape his throat. Angel, forced to stop as well, kept a firm hold on Jack's arm, tugging it gently. "Come on, Jack. We gotta keep movin'."

"No." Jack shook his head, closing his eyes and letting a couple more tears drip down into the snow. "We can't...it's my...my fault."

"Bobby's gonna be fine, kid," Angel assured, pulling Jack along. Jack stumbled, taking a couple more steps with Angel before stopping again, gripping Bobby's coat tightly to him. "Jack, come _on._ We gotta get the car started. Let's go."

"How can you just _leave _him?!" Jack yelled suddenly, startling Angel as he ripped his arm out of the other man's grip. "They're gonna kill him! We have to go back in there and help!"

"We _need_ to get to the car," Angel insisted, grabbing Jack's arm again. "If you go back in there, they're gonna kill _you._"

"Then let them kill me!" Jack exclaimed tearfully, trying to pull his arm away to no avail as Angel tightened his grip. "Better me than Bobby! It's my fault he's in there! Let them kill me instead of him! Let me go!"

"Jack, listen to me," Angel released his arm, instead gripping him by the shoulders forcefully. "Bobby's not stupid. He's got Jerry in there as backup. They got a plan, okay? He knows what he's doin'. He knew this was an ambush."

"Jerry," Jack panted, suddenly remembering seeing the other man outside the window with Bobby and Angel. He took a couple of deep, hitching breaths, trying to calm himself down. "Jerry...he's...he's hidin'?"

"Yeah. Sweet's not a smash-and-grab type of guy. He's gonna wallow in this shit for a while, which'll give Bobby and Jerry time to set up. Okay?"

Jack nodded, swiping at his eyes with his arm. "You knew it was an ambush. Why'd you guys come here?"

Angel smiled a little, shrugging. "Guess you're kind of important to Bobby." He stood straight again, motioning towards the car. "Let's go."

"Yeah," Jack breathed, following after Angel as they jogged away from the house. "But what...what if it doesn't work?"

"It'll work," Angel said, although his voice betrayed his lingering doubt.

"But if it doesn't..." Jack panted, still following close behind. "We're gonna get killed."

Angel snorted sarcastically. "What'cha mean _we_, white boy?"

Jack stopped running, then, looking at Angel as a weird feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. _I've heard that before._ He stared at him, body tingling as Angel turned around, grabbing his arm again. When Angel touched him, though, a spark suddenly passed between the points where their skin met. _Like an electrical shock..._

"What the hell was that?" Angel asked. He looked at Jack hesitantly, reaching out to touch his arm again. Jack shook his head, backing away as he began to feel very cold, his head swimming as his eyes started to grow dark around the edges. He swayed on his feet, Bobby's coat slipping off and falling to the ground, and Angel reached out to grab him, steadying him before he could topple over. His shoulder was beginning to burn...

_...like fire, ripping through his body until he just couldn't take it anymore. Where was Bobby? It hurt so fuckin' bad..._

"_Bobby!"_

"_Jack, hold on!"_

_He lay motionless on his back, trying to breathe as his throat constricted, as a foreign substance...his own blood...began to make its way into his mouth. He swallowed, chest heaving, but it was just too hard..._

A gunshot suddenly rang out from the direction of the house, and Jack dropped to his knees, gasping. "No," he whispered, hands shaking as they gripped his hair. "No."

"Jack, come _on_!" Angel yelled, grabbing Jack roughly by the back of the shirt and trying to pull him off the ground. Jack fell forward onto his hands, a couple more sobs ripping from his chest. He had to see if Bobby was okay. He _had _to...

Pushing himself unsteadily onto his feet, he ran back towards the house without a moment's hesitation. He heard Angel behind him, screaming at him to come back, but he ignored the yells completely, head down as he sprinted with all his might. _Please let him be alive,_ Jack prayed to any God that was willing to listen. _Please let him be alive, please..._

Suddenly, something large and heavy collided with him, and two bodies fell to the ground, a tangle of arms and legs. They rolled away from the house, trapped against each other, and as Jack tried to pull away, a pair of hands pushed him face down into the snow. He winced, the hands rubbing roughly against the wounds on his back.

"You fuckin' bastard!" John Davis yelled from above him, and Jack's heart practically stopped in his chest. He felt John climb on top of him, holding him to the ground and moving himself closer to Jack's ear, his voice a deadly snarl. "You're gonna pay for all this, you little whore. When I get through with you, you'll wish you never..."

But Jack didn't wait around to hear the last bit of John's sentence. He summoned all the strength he had left and rolled himself over, throwing John off of him in one swift movement that left John lying, shocked, a couple of feet away. Before John could react, Jack swung his foot around to connect with the older man's shin, leaving John gripping his leg and howling in pain.

Jack stumbled to his feet briefly before falling sideways into Angel, both of them tumbling to the snow again. He pushed himself away from Angel, trying to stagger to a standing position, but Angel wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him back to the ground.

"Let go," Jack mumbled, trying to push Angel's arms away. "Let go, I gotta..."

Then, all of a sudden, Jack saw a blur of movement out of the corner of his eye. He whirled his head around to see another body slam into John's, the two forms rolling away in yet another tangle of limbs. When the bodies stopped moving, a couple of feet farther from Angel and Jack, Bobby emerged on top of John, fists flying.

"You son of a bitch!" he yelled wildly, landing punch after punch against John's face. Jack could see blood running from John's nose, staining Bobby's knuckles as they connected ruthlessly with John's head. "You motherfucker!"

"Bobby!" Jack pushed himself away from Angel, crawling over to Bobby and grabbing the back of his shoulders, trying to pull him off of John. "Bobby, come on!"

"I'm gonna kill this asshole!" Bobby grunted as he continued to punch John, making uncontrolled frenzied noises in the back of his throat with the effort. "I'm gonna..."

"Bobby, let's go!" another voice called from the house, and Jack looked up to see Jeremiah running towards them, a cell phone in his hand. "I called the cops, we gotta go before the van gets here!"

Bobby let out another groan of frustration, landing one last punch against John's face before rolling off of him, falling to his knees next to his prone form. Blood poured out of John's nose, which was obviously broken, pooling in the snow below him. "That's what you get for messin' with my family," Bobby murmured to John's unconscious body. He looked up at Jerry, eyes wild. "I wanna make sure he's dead..."

"We don't have time, Bobby!" Jerry yelled, gripping Bobby's arm and pulling him to his feet. "The cops will take care of it! Let's go!"

Jerry and Bobby started running towards the car, Bobby reaching down and grabbing his coat on the way, and Angel lifted Jack to his feet, dragging him along behind them. Jack's hands were shaking, his mind reeling. _Bobby's alive, Bobby's alive, Bobby's alive..._

_John's dead? Victor's...dead?_

Before he knew it, he was being pushed into the back seat, falling sideways into Bobby as Angel slid into the passenger's seat and Jerry threw the car into drive, taking off down the driveway. Jack leaned forward, resting his head in his hands as overwhelmed tears started to form in his eyes. He felt nauseous and dizzy, his head spinning, his body feeling weak and shaky. _This can't be happening, none of this is actually happening..._

"Jack?" A soft hand rested against his back. "Jack, you okay?"

"No," Jack choked, feeling bile rise into his throat. "I'm gonna...be sick..."

"Jerry, pull over!" Bobby insisted as Jack hurled himself against the door, pushing it open and throwing up over the side just as Jerry stopped the car. He emptied the contents of his stomach into the street, heaving violently as his shoulders shook uncontrollably. He gripped the side of the car tightly, feeling sweat trickling down the side of his face as the hand returned to his back, rubbing up and down his spine, across his shoulders, up and down...

He heaved once more, then pulled himself back into the car, wiping at his mouth weakly with one hand while steadying himself with the other. Closing the door, he felt the car start moving again, and rested his head against the back of the seat, eyes closing wearily.

"Lie down, Jack," Bobby's voice instructed, a hand pulling gently at his shoulder. He didn't have enough strength to resist, letting himself fall sideways until he was stretched out as much as possible across the back seat. Opening his eyes, he found Bobby sitting on the floor, squeezed into the space between the passenger's seat and the back seat. _Angel must've moved his seat up_, Jack thought absently, blinking at Bobby.

"Hey," Bobby said, smiling. "How ya feelin', kiddo?"

"Like shit," Jack mumbled, earning a laugh from Bobby. "You're an idiot, you know that?"

Bobby chuckled again, resting a hand on top of Jack's head. "Yeah, that's what I've been told."

"Do me a favor," Jack whispered as his eyes slipped closed. "Don't ever do that again."

"Do what?"

"Try and rescue me."

Bobby paused, and Jack heard him take a deep breath. "I can't promise anything," he said finally, rubbing Jack's arm. "Just go to sleep."

Jack nodded, humming softly in the back of his throat. He was about to drift off when another thought pressed against his mind. "Wait," he murmured, lifting himself onto one elbow unsteadily and opening his eyes. "The cops...you said...you said they were coming...won't they..."

"Self defense, Jackie," Bobby ensured, pushing Jack back down into the seat. "It's fine, go to sleep."

"But Victor? Is he..."

"I'll tell you all about it later," Bobby promised.

Jack nodded, laying his head back down and letting his eyes close once again. "Thanks," he whispered tiredly, and was asleep within seconds.

* * *

**Rogue21493: **My alerts have been pretty messed up, lately, too. Just recently, my email alerts caught up with the actual reviews that were being posted. Oh well, thank's for going out of your way to review by email! I really appreciate it! I'm glad you liked the eleventh chapter, I hope you like the twelvth even more! Thanks again! 

**GavinVenom: **College is important, but writing is definitely important to me, too. Glad I don't have to keep you guys waiting too long. Wow, thanks so much, that would be such an honor to go on your faves list. I'll be sure to write my best! Thanks for reviewing!

**rekirika: **It can seem like forever waiting for updates, can't it? I always get so impatient with stories I'm reading...sorry to keep you waiting! That's no good about the dreams, I can imagine that would be very scary for you! Sorry I brought back some bad memories for you, although I'm glad you still enjoyed the chapter! Thank you very much! The homework hasn't been too bad so far, we'll see how it goes. Thanks agian for reviewing!

**Capt. Cow: **Thank you very much, I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I'm definitely going to be writing more stories...I just can't get away from it! And I'm glad that you'll be on the watch for them! Thanks again for reviewing!

**Minka: **Please don't beat me, even if I am cruel, which I'm not denying ;) I like writing Jack when he stands up for himself, and I'm glad there are people out there who like reading that, instead of the weak helpless Jack. I'm glad you liked the way I tied in the movie scenes, and I'm glad I'm doing a good job of it. Delightfully eerie...I like that! Thank you! I loved the white boy comment, and couldn't resist slipping it in somewhere. So many great lines, so little story to write them into...And I see you and I share the same opinion about Mary Sues. Evil, indeed. Thanks agian, hope I didn't leave you hanging too long!

**Skydance1110: **Sorry, I love cliffhangers! Hope you're not too awfully angry with me, and I'm glad you're still enjoying the story. Thank you very much! It would be unfair if Jack died in another world...and I don't think I could bear having to write a death scene. So, I didn't! Hope you all like it that way! And you guessed right! Good job! Thanks again for reviewing!

**pwrhungryjr: **Thank you, glad you liked it! Bobby, indeed. Good guess!

**Dicefreak: **Yes, I am cruel, I admit it. Something I can't help...Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked the chapter! Poor Jack, I need to stop putting him through so much. Shiver up your spine, eh? Thank you so much, that's what I was going for and I'm glad it worked! Oh no, another addict! I'll try to keep my posting at a regular pace to meet your needs! Thanks again!

**Sparks Diamond: **Jack can definitely kick butt if he wants to, and I loved writing that side of him. Don't worry, Victor and John got what's coming to them. I hope you liked the way it turned out, and I hope the suspense didn't drive you too crazy! Thanks for reviewing!

**jill: **I'm glad you liked this chapter! Thanks for reviewing, and I'll update soon!

**Miroku loves Mel 4 ever: **I love you, too! I'm glad you're enjoying it! I love Jackie, too, such a cutie, being so brave like that...wow, that was fangirlish. I apologize. Don't worry, Bobby came to the rescuse as always. Thanks for reviewing, I'll update as soon as possible!

**Padfoot4ever: **Like I've said, I love cliffies. They make the world go round...And that's such a compliment that my updating this story would make someone's day! That's what being an author is all about, right? Thanks so much! And I _adore_ Sirius Black, just so you know. I mean...yeah, I just love him. Thanks again for reviewing, you shouldn't have to wait too long for the next chapter.

**stefanie: **lol I'm glad it's keeping your interest! Thanks for the review, and I won't keep you waiting too long for the next chapter.

**pen liddin: **Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!

**Ophelia Hyde: **LOL! I loved that comment, babe, that just made my day. "If your story is wrong, I don't wanna be right." Love it! I'm glad you didn't save this review for another time, it definitely put a smile on my face. I love kick-ass Jack, almost as much as I love kick-ass Bobby. Thank you so much for the compliment. I work hard at my characterization, blah blah blah, stuff you've heard before, but I really appreciate it anytime someone compliments me on that. So thanks again! And wow, beyond flawless...thank you so much! I'm glad everyone got the full effect of Jack's feelings, I was afraid that it was going to leave everyone a little detatched, but I guess not! More updates to come soon!...Oh wait, there's more! Hehe...I'm also glad that you liked my characterization of Sweet. I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to make him evil enough, but he was another very strong character in the movie, so he was surprisingly easy to write. Thanks again!

**Ebz: **I just couldn't write a Jack death scene in this story, it wouldn't be fair for him to die in both worlds. And he definitely got to avenge himself, in this chapter and the last. Go Jack! That's definitely not the end, I have this chapter and two more after it, so stay tuned! Thanks again for reviewing!

**mackie: **Aww, thank you! I'm glad you liked it so much! Hope I don't keep you waiting too long, and thanks again for reviewing!

**BrittneyRose: **Wow, caps! Yay! I'm glad you liked it! Thank you so much. One of your favorite fics ever? What a compliment! I think we're all a little in love with Jack, yeah? Such a cutie...Anyway, more updates to come very soon. Thanks again!!

**anime-queen46: **lol! I'll defintely update as soon as I can, thanks for reviewing!

**xXJackxXmy3rdXclassXrockXStarX: **Whooboy, so many reviews! You certianly didn't have to do that, but thank you anyways. Okay, here we go...Once again, it's no problem at all, don't worry if you didn't review! I'm just glad to have readers in the first place! There's absolutely nothing to forgive, I have a lot going on as well, I understand how it is. For chapter 8: I'm glad you liked this chapter, and I'm very happy that you're able to visualize what's going on. That's what I'm aiming for! For chapter 9: Sometimes I don't even know how I keep it together, but I'm glad it's staying coherent to everyone. I think Bobby has a generally protective thing going for him, and that Jack means something to him even in this other world, so natrually he's going to kick some ass for him! And thank you for the compliment about Chad's character. To say that he's almost as natural as the story characters...wow. Thanks so much! And you didn't have to review for every story! But thanks for taking the time to do so! Chapter 10: I'm glad you liked the amount of emotion and the portrayl of the characters. My hard work is paying off, so thank you! I'm also glad you're still surprised with every chapter and that it's not too predictible. I love detail, I just have to be careful because I tend to lose the plot sometimes, so I'm glad you think it's turning out well! Chapter 11: Thank you so much! You guys humble me, you really do. And I can't say enough times how great it feels when someone says that this story makes their day. Thank you, thank you, thank you! (deep breath) Okay so, in review, thanks for reviewing (a lot!), updates coming soon, and stay tuned!


	13. In Which Jack Figures It Out

AN: Second to last chapter, guys! Oh man, this is getting kind of sad. I really loved writing this story...oh well, on to the one-shots. I've already started writing my first one, called _Fighting Fire With Fire,_ so be on the lookout for it! I _might,_ and I repeat, _might,_ have it posted by the end of this week. We'll see. Anyway, as usual, thanks for all your reviews. Wonderful, wonderful, loves and kisses to you all. I'm very amused to see that almost everyone was looking forward to John getting his ass kicked...I was equally looking forward to writing it! Alright, enough babble, here's chapter thirteen! Enjoy!

* * *

When Jack next opened his eyes, he was lying on Bobby's couch, a blanket wrapped around his legs and something cool and damp resting on his back. The only light came from the muted TV, where an infomercial for some classic rock compilation CD was being shown. _It must be late,_ Jack thought, reaching up to touch the side of his head and the area below his eye. He pressed at his cheek gently, feeling a slight twinge of pain resulting from the pressure he inflicted, and sighed. _That's gonna be a nice bruise in the morning._

Jack shifted slightly, turning to lie on his side instead of his stomach, and felt the cool, damp thing slide off of his back and into the couch cushions. "Shit," he whispered, dropping back over to his stomach and reaching down into the cushions to retrieve whatever had fallen. A soft chuckle from the other side of the room caught his attention, and he looked up, startled.

"That was there for a reason, ya know," Bobby said, the blueish light from the TV illuminating his face as he sat in the recliner. Jack didn't say anything, just continued to fish for the thing that was stuck behind him. "Don't worry about it. It's just a washcloth, I can get'cha another one."

"What's it for?" Jack croaked, surprised at how dry and hoarse his voice sounded. Bobby stood, walking over to the couch and flipping on the lamp that rested on the side table. Jack blinked, squinting, looking around blearily. "And what time is it?"

"It's a little past midnight," Bobby said, kneeling down next to the couch, "and the rag's for your back." He paused, looking up at Jack with concerned eyes. "You told me you weren't hurt."

"I didn't think I was," Jack responded, noticing for the first time since he'd woken up that he was shirtless. Shivering, he reached over and touched his back cautiously, wincing when his fingers came across a rather nasty feeling set of cuts. "I mean...I forgot I was. It didn't hurt for a while."

"Adrenaline, probably," Bobby reasoned, reaching over Jack and sticking his hand between the couch cushions, pulling out the washcloth. "It's barely even wet anymore. I'll go put some more water on it."

"No, it's fine," Jack insisted before Bobby could stand up. "Just...a little sore." He put his head back down on the pillow, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Last thing I knew I was in the car. How'd I get here?"

"You don't remember?" Bobby asked, and Jack reopened his eyes, shaking his head. "Me and Angel had to practically drag you out of the car while Jerry tried to explain the whole thing to Ma. She was half nuts when she saw you. You were really out of it, kid."

"I was?" Jack propped himself up, brow furrowed. _I thought I was just tired._ "Am I sick?"

"Nah," Bobby said nonchalantly, trying to make Jack feel more at ease. "You threw up, though. You remember that?"

"Yeah," Jack breathed. "But...how out of it was I?"

"You were just tired, Jackie," Bobby reassured. "You had quite the fuckin' day. It just wore you out, that's all." He watched Jack as he closed his eyes, sighing. "You okay, Cracker Jack?" When Jack nodded absently, his eyes wandered over Jack's form. "What happened to your back?"

Jack stiffened, eyes reopening, and he rolled over on his side again, putting his back out of Bobby's view. "John," he whispered. "He...he was angry when we got to the house. Angry at me 'cause...because I ran away." He paused, swallowing, staring at the floor. "He was pretty mad."

"I can fuckin' see that," Bobby said, remaining calm although his words were angry. He looked at Jack quizzically for a moment, dropping off of his knees to sit on the ground and leaning back on his hands. "He didn't...do anything to you, did he?"

"Huh?" Jack was momentarily confused. "I don't..." Then, suddenly, he realized what Bobby meant. He shook his head, face and neck reddening. "Oh. No. He...he tried, though."

"What'd you do?"

Jack smirked. "I kicked him in the balls."

Bobby couldn't contain his grin, reaching out and ruffling Jack's hair. "Atta boy," he said, smiling at Jack. When Jack didn't return his smile, though, he frowned as well. "Somethin' else happen?"

"Hmm?"

"He say somethin' to you?"

"What?" Jack asked, still not looking up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what did he say to you?" Bobby questioned, voice firm. When Jack didn't answer right away, he leaned forward, resting his arms against the couch. "Come on, Jackie..."

"He said a bunch of shit, alright?" Jack snapped, rolling over so that his back was facing Bobby. "A bunch of shit I've heard a million times. I'm worthless, I'm selfish, I'm screwed up, I'm stupid, and no one cares." He pulled his arms in, wrapping them around his stomach.

"You know not a goddamn word of that is true," Bobby maintained adamantly, shifting back onto his knees. "You know that, right?"

"I know..." Jack began, but stopped, rolling back over to face Bobby, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"Jack, you should be lying down," Bobby instructed immediately, but Jack shook his head, ignoring his comments.

"What if it _is_ true?" he asked honestly, eyes narrowing. "What if I am..."

"Are you kidding me?" Bobby interrupted, stunned. "Are you actually gonna listen to what that piece of shit said?"

"Well, I mean..." Jack raised a questioning hand in the air, before letting it drop heavily to his lap again. "He kept tellin' me that...that I was, and...and the Robinsons, they didn't want me either, so..." His head dropped, hands fiddling with the blanket. "I don't know."

"Jack," Bobby said, leaning forward so that he could look into Jack's eyes. "Lemme tell you somethin', okay? And you gotta believe that every word of this is true. Alright?" Jack nodded weakly, and Bobby rested a hand on his knee. "You're not screwed up. If you're screwed up, then I'm screwed up, down, sideways, and about a hundred other different ways that you don't even wanna know about."

"But I'm..."

"Let me finish," Bobby demanded. "If you were worthless, you think I would have risked my fuckin' life for you?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize. I don't know a single stupid kid that goes to the library on his off time, and I don't know a single selfish person that would fuckin' _volunteer_ to go back and get killed...for me." When Jack looked up, eyes wide, Bobby nodded. "Angel told me about that. What the hell were you thinking, Jack?"

"It was my fault," Jack mumbled, shaking his head. "This shouldn't have happened, if I hadn't..."

"No, if _I_ hadn't," Bobby said, raising his hand to stop Jack. "I talked to you in the bar, I brought you to my house, I put you on the map with Sweet in the first place. If anyone should be handin' out a goddamn apology, it should be me."

"Don't," Jack insisted firmly. "You've been the only person that's...that's..."

"Cared about you?" Bobby asked, smiling. "I think that takes care of everything John said. Unless I'm missing somethin'?"

"No," Jack whispered. His eyes were beginning to water, and he knew he had to change the subject before he actually started crying. "What happened with Sweet, Bobby? Is he...is he dead?"

Bobby nodded, eyes suddenly hard. "Yeah, he's dead."

"How'd you do it?"

"Jerry," Bobby said. "Thank fuck for Jerry. He waited while Sweet fuckin'...wallowed in what he thought was his own goddamn victory. Tellin' me how I shoulda known better than to get involved, that it was too late to negotiate now." He paused, smirking. "He was too interested in himself to notice that Jerry was standing behind him with a gun pointed at the back of his head."

Jack's jaw fell open. "How the hell did you pull that one off?"

Bobby smiled, shrugging. "Good timing...and the fact that Jerry's a fuckin' genius...a lucky genius."

"How so?"

"Jerry's been to that house before," Bobby said, a hint of frustration in his tone, obviously not liking the fact that Jerry had been so involved with Sweet in the first place. "His old union buddy Evan works for Sweet now. He called Jerry there to warn him, tellin' him to let Sweet get involved with his business project before he shut the whole thing down...or worse."

"I don't get it," Jack said, confused. "How'd that help?"

"I called Jerry after I found out that Sweet was a part of this. I knew he'd been havin' some problems with his business lately, and he'd let Sweet's name drop once or twice, so I thought he might have some hints as to what I might be in for. When I told him the address, though, he formed a plan of his own. Told me that while he was at the house with Evan, he saw a couple of things he'd found interesting."

"Like what?"

"Like a ladder lying on the side of the house," Bobby said, and at Jack's puzzled look, elaborated. "A ladder someone could use to climb to the second floor, sneak in the bedroom window..."

"And down the stairs to the living room," Jack finished for him, shaking his head and grinning. "How the hell did Jerry notice a ladder, of all things?"

"Because he's Jerry," Bobby chuckled, shrugging. "Because he's always lookin' for the angles. Jerry used to be a damn good thief before he got his act cleaned up, became a family man and all that shit."

Jack nodded. "But how'd Sweet end up dead? John had a gun, too..."

"John came over to pat me down, to make sure I didn't have a weapon. Jerry, with his fuckin' incredible timing, came downstairs just as that was happening, and when John got close enough, I punched him in the stomach. By the time Sweet reached for his own gun, Jerry had one to the back of his head."

Jack leaned forward on his knees, intrigued. "And?"

Bobby laughed in spite of himself, shaking his head at Jack. "You're like a fuckin' five year old, Jackie. Jesus." Jack gave him a wilting look, and Bobby rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. To tell ya the truth, it's kind of a blur from there. Sweet went to shoot at me, Jerry shot him, I went to shoot at John, he ran, I beat the shit out of him. That's about it. Jerry called the cops, tellin' them about Sweet and the whole mess, sayin' that they attacked us and that there was another van of hit men coming. I'm sure they're all dead or behind bars by now."

"Wow," Jack said, shaking his head. He looked towards the wall for a minute thoughtfully, before turning back to Bobby. "So Victor sent you the message through Chad?"

"You knew about the message?"

"Like you said," Jack explained, "Sweet likes to gloat."

"Right," Bobby said, smirking. "It would've saved him a lot of trouble if he'd just given me the message when I showed up on his porch."

"You _went_ to Chad's house?"

Bobby nodded, chuckling. "I did. And if he'd delivered it _before_ I decided to punch him in the face..."

"Bobby!"

"Oh, he deserved it," Bobby reasoned, lifting himself off the ground with a groan and moving to sit on the couch next to Jack. "I'm not through with him yet either. I have a few more...words...I'd like to have with him."

"That makes two of us," Jack mumbled, looking back down at his hands.

"Yeah," Bobby replied, watching Jack carefully. "By the way, I got a question for you."

"Hmm?" Jack asked, facing Bobby. "What's that?"

"Before I got the message from Chad, me and Angel did a little investigating at the library." Jack glanced down again, watching his hands twitch anxiously. "I looked up your information, and I found something interesting about your address." He paused, looking at Jack, waiting from him to say something. When he realized that Jack wasn't going to speak, he continued. "You know what was interesting about your address?"

Jack shrugged. "It's your address, too?"

"Bingo," Bobby said, grinning slightly. At Jack's downcast expression, though, he sobered, nudging Jack's arm with his shoulder. "Wanna tell me what that's about?"

"You'll think it's stupid," Jack murmured, shaking his head.

"You tried that one already, Cracker Jack," Bobby retorted. "Try again."

"Well," Jack started, staring fixedly at the floor, "they needed an address...and I wouldn't put John's. And this..." He mumbled something else under his breath, so softly that Bobby couldn't hear.

"What's that?"

Jack took a deep breath. "This...feels more like home than...than anywhere else. Even though I only stayed here a couple days, this feels...right."

Bobby nodded, smiling. "Ma has a way of makin' this place feel like home."

"It's more than that," Jack said, finally looking up at Bobby. "You know, with...with the feelings."

"Ah, the feelings," Bobby remembered. "Still havin' those?"

"Kind of," Jack said, shrugging. "I had...a different one today."

"Different?"

"Remember the spark? When we shook hands?" Jack asked, and Bobby nodded in reply. "I got the same spark with someone else."

Bobby's eyes narrowed. "With who?"

"With Angel."

"Angel?" Bobby asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Angel." Jack confirmed. "He grabbed my arm to pull me away from the house and...I don't know, something just happened. There was some kind of spark and...you remember when I passed out in the bar?"

"When I threw water on you and you threw a goddamn temper tantrum about it?"

Jack smiled, remembering how unusually angry and confused he'd been that night. _It seems so long ago..._ "Yeah. The reason I passed out was because I had some kind of...vision thing. Like a dream, only I was awake, and it felt real...really real. Too real."

"A vision?" The tone of Bobby's voice indicated that he wasn't buying any of what Jack was saying. "What are you, a fuckin' psychic?"

"No, I just..." Jack stopped, realizing that he was beginning to sound ridiculous again. He shrugged, shaking his head. The next part he murmured quietly, so that Bobby had to lean in to hear him. "It felt like I was gonna die."

"What?"

"I saw myself lying in the snow, and I was bleeding, and it _hurt,_" Jack claimed. "I could feel it, even though it wasn't happening. My shoulder was burning and I was cold and...it fuckin' hurt. I'd gotten shot somehow and I was just lying there and...yelling for you. And you were yelling back...and then I was dying, and you and Angel and Jerry were there, and you were...were tellin' me not to die. But I knew that I was going to, and I couldn't help it, and I couldn't tell you that I was."

Bobby's forehead creased in confusion and concern. "And you saw all this when you shook my hand in the bar?"

"And when Angel touched my arm. And...and when that guy in the hockey mask was pointing that gun at me...I just _knew _it."

"Knew what?"

"That I was gonna die."

Bobby remained silent for a moment, letting Jack's revelation soak in, before shaking his head adamantly. "No, Jackie. You were never gonna die. We weren't gonna let that happen."

"But it felt..."

"It doesn't matter how it felt," Bobby insisted. "It's not real, Jack. You know it's not real because you're sitting on my couch and you seem pretty damn alive to me. These feelings, this...vision...this dream shit...Jack, it's _not_ real. They're just feelings, just dreams. I know they felt real to you, they felt real to me, too...but the thing is, they're _not._ Nothing about those feelings can be explained, and _nothing_ about those vision things you had came true. You're not dead, and you're not gonna die."

"Maybe," Jack mumbled. "Maybe it happened in..."

"Don't start with that crap, okay?" Bobby commanded, tone suddenly harsh. "I'm not gonna listen to any more of that parallel universe reality bullshit."

"But..."

"No!" Bobby yelled suddenly, springing to his feet. Jack blinked, surprised, backing further into the couch at Bobby's reaction. "Jack, stop it! I _told_ you to forget about that shit, and I mean it! It's not real!"

"Fine!" Jack yelled back, standing as well. "I thought maybe it'd mean something to you, but obviously I was wrong!"

"If you're gonna keep goin' around making up stories, it's not gonna mean a damn thing to me!" Bobby shot back, then snapped his mouth shut, realizing the callousness of his statement by the look on Jack's face. "Jack, that's not..."

"So you think I made this up?" Jack asked, folding his arms across his chest, voice betraying the hurt that he felt. "You think that all these weird feelings...all this shit that you _said_ you understood...what, was that all a lie?"

"Jack, no..."

"Then what was it?" Jack's voice was raised, tears welling up in his eyes_. I just want this day to end... _"You told me you _knew_ what I was talking about! I thought I could trust you, Bobby."

"You can..."

"Then why won't you trust _me_? I thought I was gonna die!"

"So did I!"

Bobby spun to face the wall, away from Jack's shocked eyes, taking a deep, calming breath. "So did I, okay?" He turned back around, forcing himself to lower his voice when he saw the tears in Jack's eyes. "I got one of those goddamn feelings on the way to Sweet's, and I flipped out, because I thought you were already dead. Alright? Is that what you wanna hear?"

Jack shook his head, wiping at his eyes. "I don't...I just...I just wanna go to sleep."

"Me too," Bobby murmured. He watched Jack for a moment, feeling some form of guilt bubble up inside his chest_. I shouldn't have yelled at him, _he thought_. He's had one hell of a day_. "You okay?"

"I don't know," Jack whispered, pressing at his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "I just need sleep. I just..." He tried to swallow a sob, releasing it as it threatened to choke him. He turned his gaze towards the floor, feelings Bobby's eyes on him. "Please...just let me go to bed."

"Of course," Bobby said, placing a hand in the middle of Jack's back, leading him to the stairs. "Let's go. Let's just get you to bed, okay?"

"Okay," Jack agreed, letting Bobby push him gently in the direction of the stairs. He felt Bobby rubbing a hand slowly across his shoulders, like he'd done in the car, as another sob built up in his chest. Bobby followed him all the way into the room where Jack had been sleeping the past couple of nights, leaning against the doorframe and watching Jack crawl into bed.

"You sure you're okay?" Bobby asked again. "You know I didn't mean to yell at you."

"I know," Jack said, settling into bed, already feeling his eyelids beginning to droop as the softness of the mattress relaxed him. He rolled over onto his back, squinting at Bobby in the dim moonlight. "Thanks again."

"For what?"

"For savin' my life."

Bobby chuckled weakly, shrugging. "It was nothin', Jack. Night."

"Night," Jack replied, closing his eyes and letting himself drift off into unconsciousness. However, right before he fell asleep, something at the back of his mind pushed it's way to the front, tugging at his awareness and forcing him awake. "Bobby?"

Footsteps made their way back down the hallway, and Bobby appeared at his door again. "Yeah?"

"I know what it was," Jack said sleepily, rolling back over onto his side.

Bobby cocked his head slightly, confused. "Know what _what_ was?"

"The decision." Jack was fighting to stay awake now, and he yawned loudly, blinking rapidly to try and clear his clouded eyes. "The decision that caused the...the..." another yawn, then, "the parallel universe thing."

"Jackie..."

"It was Evelyn," he said, propping himself up on one elbow, drowsy eyes closing. "Remember the kid she was supposed to adopt when you were fifteen?" When Bobby didn't say anything, Jack lowered himself slowly back to the pillow. "It was me."

Bobby still remained silent, coming into the room and sitting on the edge of Jack's bed. "Jack, listen. I thought about that, too, but how would you know? There's gotta be a million other kids that didn't get adopted...it could've been anyone."

"I was six, you were fifteen," Jack mumbled. "My social worker said that I was going to a home, and that it might be permanent, and...then I didn't go. And I never knew why." He forced his eyes open, starting at Bobby with a half-lidded, tired gaze. "You don't believe me."

"It's not that, Jack," Bobby said, watching Jack close his eyes again. "It could've been you, but you were young, you might not remember. It doesn't explain..."

"It happened again," Jack interrupted, not even bothering to open his eyes this time. "Right before I ran away...my social worked called me. Asked me if I was..." He paused, yawning again, his speech beginning to slur. "He asked me if I was doin' okay with John. Said that someone else was lookin' for an older kid. I said no. Didn't want 'em to think I was a fuck up. Was gonna run away, anyway. No more foster homes."

"How could you have known that was Ma?" Bobby asked, although he couldn't help but admit that he was definitely intrigued. "I know for a fact that Ma said she wasn't takin' any more in after Matt, her last foster kid."

"Said it was an older lady. Had two sons...one moved, one was goin' into the military. Goin' to Iraq. 'S lonely in a house, by yourself." He rolled over, facing the wall. "Shoulda been me."

_It couldn't be..._ Bobby thought, but something inside him was saying that what Jack's words were true, that Jack was right, that they were supposed to be...

"Brothers," he whispered, placing a hand on Jack's arm. "But...how? How did we know? The weird feelings..."

"To warn us," Jack mumbled, startling Bobby. _Goddamnit, I thought he was asleep._ "To warn us 'bout Sweet. 'M not supposed to die, yet, I guess." He rolled back over, giving Bobby a small smile. "The feelings were...so that we'd meet. And you could save me." His eyes narrowed, a look of confusion etched in his face. "But then...if we'd been brothers...if Evelyn adopted me...I think...I would've died."

"Then it's better this way," Bobby said, not willing to admit that he was beginning to get a little choked up. He smirked at Jack, trying to hide his emotions. "I can't be your brother if you're dead."

"Yeah." Jack was fading fast, eyes closing as he drifted to sleep. "Then it's better this way."

* * *

"You sure you wanna do this?" 

"For the last time, _yes_, I wanna do this," Bobby said, amused, watching Jack shuffle nervously next to him, looking up at the front door of the house with obvious apprehension. "What are you so worried about?"

Jack shrugged as Bobby rang the doorbell. "I don't know. He's the one who handed me over to John in the first place. Maybe..."

"Maybe what?" Bobby asked. "Maybe Sweet's dead and John's either dead or locked up. There's nothin' to be nervous about. I'm here, I've got a gun, so if anyone tries anything, they're gonna get fucked up."

"I know," Jack said, looking over at Bobby with wary eyes. "What do you want to do here, anyway?"

"I just wanna talk," Bobby said offhandedly.

"Bobby..."

"You just go get your guitar, and I'll have a few words with him," Bobby instructed as the doorknob turned. Jack stiffened while Bobby stuffed his hands casually into his pockets, eyes locked on the opening door.

"Can I help..." Chad began when the door was fully opened, then jumped back at the sight of Bobby on the front porch, unable to hide his surprise and fear. "Jesus Christ! What the fuck do you want?" He turned sideways in the doorframe, looking back at a skinny redhead that was sitting on the couch, hair askew and makeup smudged. "Lexi, get the _fuck_ downstairs!"

"Hey, man, no need to get spooked," Bobby assured him, pushing himself past Chad and into the house, looking around indifferently as the girl dashed down the stairs, closing the door behind her. Jack followed close behind, watching with amusement as Chad eyed them nervously. "I'm just bringin' Jackie by to pick up some of his shit."

"My guitar's in the basement?" Jack asked, and at Chad's shaky nod, headed towards the basement door. Opening it, he bounded down the stairs, seeing the girl sitting on the couch, biting at a fingernail and watching him with interest. He ignored her, squatting down to flip open his guitar case, inspecting what was inside. "Damn it," he mumbled, noticing that he was missing a few guitar picks. He lifted his guitar off of its stand, placing it gingerly into the case and closing it again. Getting on his hands and knees, he searched under the rest of the band's equipment, lifting the cases and looking for his missing picks. Just as he was about to crawl over to Chad's desk, a voice from the other side of the room broke the silence.

"What'cha lookin' for?" the girl on the couch asked, smacking her gum loudly, and Jack pushed himself up onto his knees, scratching his head.

"Guitar picks," he mumbled, eyes scouring the room for a place he might have put them.

"I think they're over here," she continued, reaching over into an ash tray and pulling out four picks, showing them to Jack in her outstretched palm. "These them?"

"Yeah," Jack breathed, walking over and grabbing the picks out of her hand. He ran them between his fingers before shoving them into his pocket, looking down at the girl with a small smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," the girl said, stretching her hand out to Jack. "Name's Lexi. Pleased to meet ya."

"Nice to meet you, too," Jack said, taking her hand and shaking it lightly. "I'm Jack."

She smiled at him. "Jack, huh? You a friend of Chad's?"

"Not really," Jack said, shaking his head and frowning. "I mean...I used to be." He picked up his guitar case, slinging it over his shoulder and heading towards the stairs. "I gotta go."

"So soon?" Lexi asked with a pout. "I'll see ya around, then?"

"Not likely. I don't think I'll be comin' around here too often anymore."

Lexi stood up, coming over to Jack with the same sultry pout, placing a hand on his arm. "Pity," she murmured seductively, with a tone of voice that Jack speculated could only come from practice. "I could really make it worth your while."

Jack looked down at the hand on his arm, noticing the chipped red nail polish on nails that had been bitten so short they barely rose above the skin. He glanced up at Lexi's face, wondering how she'd look without all the smudged lipstick and heavy eye makeup. He shook his head, realizing the absurdity of the situation. Here he was, less than twenty-four hours after getting kidnapped, threatened, and rescued, and suddenly he was standing in Chad's basement, getting hit on by a girl that he knew he'd never be interested in, and that would never really be interested in him. _It's almost like everything's back to normal._

But as Jack looked at Lexi, seeing the pain in her eyes that she tried to hide, he realized that absolutely _nothing_ was normal, even though the situation seemed like a perfectly ordinary occurrence. _Here we are, two teenagers, living in the middle of Detroit...but I'm living on the streets after being beaten, molested, kidnapped...she's seducing me with too much false confidence, with too much makeup on her face, with clothes too tight, with a secret she's hiding...we should be going to school, living with a mother and a father and a sister or a brother or maybe both...instead, we're just trying to survive._

"That's okay," Jack said, pushing Lexi's hand off of his shoulder gently. "I've got bigger things to worry about."

Lexi smiled at him, nodding, her eyes understanding. "Me too, honey," she patted his arm gently, going to sit on the couch again. "Me too."

Jack turned back around, walking up the stairs into Chad's living room. Before he got there, however, he heard voices...first Chad's strained whisper, frightened and angry, then Bobby's distinct growl, threatening and commanding. He smirked, not really concerned for Chad's well-being but determined to get Bobby out of the house before he did something they'd all regret. At the top of the stairs, Jack saw Chad pushed up against the wall, Bobby holding him there with a hand on his neck.

"And if you ever come near Jack again, I swear to God I _will_ kill you this time," Bobby snarled. "If you don't believe me, I dare you to fuckin' try somethin', I _dare_ you..."

Jack coughed, gaining Bobby and Chad's attention, and Bobby released Chad, pointing at him warningly. "You remember what I said, asshole," he finished, backing towards the door. "If you don't..."

"Bobby, go wait in the car," Jack said, not really able to keep himself from smiling although he tried to keep his voice stern. "I gotta talk to Chad for a second."

Bobby nodded, reaching out and turning the doorknob. He paused, glaring at Chad from across the room. "I'm right outside the door," he said, more to Chad than to Jack. "If anything fuckin' happens, I'll..."

"Yeah, I know, I know, you'll kill me," Chad spat, regaining some of his confidence now that Jack was in the room and Bobby was leaving. "And I think I remember saying last time you were here that if you didn't get out of my fuckin' house, I'd call the cops on you."

"You better watch yourself. I'm not fuckin' kidding..."

"Bobby..." Jack gave Bobby firm look. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Fine," Bobby agreed, opening the door and stepping out onto the porch. "If any shit happens, though, I'm fuckin' warning you..." He didn't finish his sentence, but instead walked outside, closing the door behind him. Jack chuckled, shaking his head and turning back to Chad, who was staring at Jack angrily, arms folded across his chest.

"I don't see what the fuck is so funny about this," Chad scowled, rubbing his neck, and Jack became serious very quickly. "Why the hell would you bring him here, Jackie? He _threatened_ me."

"He was just worried," Jack reasoned. "Bobby gets a little...protective. He didn't mean any harm...I don't think. He just wanted to know where I was."

"Yeah? Well...he's a fuckin' psycho, I'm tellin' ya," Chad said, staring at Jack disapprovingly. "I mean...he flipped out about you going home with John. I tried to tell him it was just a little fight, but he's a goddamn hothead. He wouldn't listen to a fuckin' word I said. I don't like being threatened, Jack."

"Neither do I," Jack practically whispered, but couldn't find the energy to be angry at Chad. _It's not worth it,_ he suddenly realized. _Being angry, being upset...caring about anything he says. It's just not worth the effort._ "He's not a psycho. There was a reason he flipped out."

"Why? I'd really like to know, because I think he's more than a little crazy, and I don't think you..."

"Stop trying to protect me, Chad," Jack said exasperatedly. "You gave up that right when you called John."

"Okay, I wanna know right now," Chad demanded, "what the hell did John ever do to you?"

"He beat me...and raped me."

Chad just stared at him, eyes wide, any words he had caught in his throat and unable to be voiced aloud. Jack shrugged, shifting his guitar, which was slipping down his arm, further up onto his shoulder. "That's why Bobby was angry," Jack continued. "So...he's not really crazy. He's just protective. He didn't want that to happen again."

"Jackie," Chad breathed, his voice coming out in a heavy _woosh_ of air. "I didn't...I didn't know."

"I know you didn't. I didn't tell you."

"But I should have know _something_ was wrong...my God, I'm so sorry, I..."

Jack shook his head, raising a hand to stop Chad. "Please...don't apologize. I just wanna forget about it. I'm just...starting over."

"Right," Chad nodded, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "So you're not...you're really quitting the band?"

"Yeah."

"And you're staying with Bobby?"

Jack shrugged. "Maybe. I'm not sure."

Chad continued to nod, crossing his arms again. "You know...the other night...I didn't mean what I said. You could stay here..."

"Thanks, Chad, but I can't," Jack refused, heading towards the door slowly. "You can't help me with this. And I need to...kind of figure some shit out."

"I could help."

Jack shook his head, pausing at the door. "Me and Bobby got it under control."

"Fine." Chad was staring at the ground, looking more hurt and distressed than Jack had ever seen. When he looked up, Jack could sense the guilt he was feeling, even though he tried to hide his emotions by pretending he didn't really care. "Go ahead, then. Don't think I'm gonna give you a place to stay anymore, though. Even if you come back here begging."

"Don't worry," Jack said, pulling open the front door. "I won't." He stepped outside, catching one last glimpse of Chad's shocked face, before closing the door. He took a deep breath, composing himself fully, before turning around to see Bobby sitting in the car, watching him suspiciously. He jogged to the car, slipping into the passenger's seat and sliding his guitar into the back. Closing the door, he stared through the windshield at Chad's house with an unreadable expression on his face.

"How'd it go?" Bobby asked, and Jack just shrugged.

"Told him about John."

"What'd he say? He regret any of it, at all?"

"A little," Jack said. "But...I dunno, he's Chad. He's not sorry about anything for more than a second."

"Want me to go beat him up?" Bobby offered seriously, and Jack laughed, shaking his head.

"Nah, it's okay," he declined. "I'm done with Chad, anyway. I'm not gonna deal with his shit anymore."

"Good," Bobby said, starting the engine and backing out of the driveway. "I didn't like him."

"No way," Jack deadpanned sarcastically, earning a smack on the shoulder from Bobby.

"Enough of this shit," Bobby said as Jack smacked him back. "Ready to go home?"

_Home_, Jack thought happily, leaning back into his seat. _That has a nice ring to it._

"Yeah. Let's go home."

* * *

**Dicefreak: **Thank you very much! Brotherly love and revelations definitely happened in this chapter, and will be coming in the final chapter as well! I'm really glad you liked it, and I hope you're feeling better soon! 

**NoLongerMalicious: **It's always nice to hear from a new person, so thanks for taking the time to review! I'm glad you look forward to this story being updated, that's really flattering! And thank you so much for your compliments, I try to keep things as in character and as grammatically accurate as possible, and I'm glad to see these things paying off! When I first started writing this story, I thought about killing Jack off, but then realized that I could make a much better comparison between this universe and the canon universe if he survived. I was also devastated when he died in the movie...definitely didn't see it coming. Ouch. Anyways, thanks again for reviewing!

**Ebz: **Only one more chapter to go, now! It's kind of bittersweet...I feel accomplished now that it's almost finished, but at the same time, it's been so much fun writing this story! I hope the last two chapters will be up to you standards, and the parallel universe thing will sort itself out, don't worry. Glad you liked it, thanks for reviewing!

**Minka: **Yay! I apologize for delaying your progress out the door...hopefully you weren't too late! Thank you, I'm glad you liked the chapter! It seems to be the general consensus that everyone was waiting for Bobby to beat up John...glad I could deliver! I also wanted to use the Jack intro line somewhere in the story, but couldn't find any place to put it. Oh well, it may come up in a one shot somewhere along the line. We'll see. You'll definitely see more of Angel and Jerry in the next chapter, and the weird feeling bit should all come to a close. Thanks again for the review, final update coming soon!

**Skydance1110:** Nope, Jack's still alive and kickin', thank God. It is definitely good to have everyone safe, now we can resolve some lingering issues, eh? The family is almost complete, we just need Jerry to make the connection now! Glad you liked this chapter, and thanks for the review!

**rider: **Yes, now only one more chapter. I know, it's kind of sad for me, too :( On a happier note, I get to write one shots now! Thank you so much, I'm glad you're liking the story, and thanks for reviewing!

**anime-queen46: **lol John needed to get an ass kicking, and who better to deliver it than everyone's favorite Michigan Mauler? Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

**jill: **Thank you very much! I'll post the next chapter very soon! Thanks for reviewing!

**Miroku loves Mel 4 ever: **Wow, thank you very much! I figured Jack would be upset about Bobby, because he's already questioned their friendship, so naturally he'd blame himself. Poor guy. Yes, Angel is finally turning around, which is making everyone very happy, it seems. I'm glad you liked the addition of the white boy line. Loved that line, loved it! I'm glad I didn't have to write a Jack death scene, that would have been very hard, and I think you saw in this chapter what happened to Victor. Hope it was to your liking. Thank you very much for your review, next chapter coming soon!

**xXJackxXmy3rdXclassXrockXStarX: **Well, thank you very much! I really appreciate that! I'm glad you liked this chapter, and I'm glad you could feel all the emotion and see everything happening in your head. That's what I'm aiming for! Wow...thank you so much, that's one of the best compliments I've ever received! I doubt that's it true, but I'm very happy that you appreciate my work and think it's good! And it brought tears to your eyes? Aww, I'm sorry...but that's also a compliment, I think, so thanks again! Thanks again for your wonderful review, and I'll update soon!

**pwrhungryjr:** Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! I'm glad someone caught the self defense reference, I thought it was going to go unnoticed! So yay for you! So thanks again for your review!

**rekirika: **I'm glad this chapter made you happy! Everyone seems to like the fact that John got the crap beat out of him...yay! I truly believe that both Angel and Bobby are really good guys, they just let their emotions get the best of them sometimes. You guys are so lucky with the snow days! It snowed here this weekend, but not enough to do anything. And even if it did snow a whole lot, I don't think they'd close a major university. Pity. I'm kind of sad that this story's ending soon, as well. It was so much fun to write, and so great to hear from all you guys every update. I hope you'll check out my one shots when I get them posted, and I'm glad you like the idea! Thanks against for your review, glad you liked the chapter!

**Brittney Rose: **Thank you, I'm glad you liked it, and I'm also glad it's starting to make sense to you! Hopefully it will make even more sense by the end! Thanks for your review!

**ProTempore: **Yes! A convert! I usually stay away from AU's as well, but I couldn't help but write this one. It wouldn't leave me alone! Anyways, I'm really glad that you decided to check my story out, and I'm really glad that you liked it, too! Yeah, Bobby's not the most trustworthy guy in the world, is he? Ah well, someone's gotta hire him! Thanks for your review!

**Wolf10: **Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it! I have loaded on the suspense, haven't I? Sorry about that, the suspense has drastically lessened, I think, now that the whole Victor/John thing is over. Yes, only two more chapters. It saddens me too. I really hope you check out my one shots, and they're as well received as this story was! Thanks for reviewing, and the last update will be coming soon!

**Sparks Diamond: **Thank you so much, I'm glad you liked this chapter so much! I'm really glad that I didn't have to write Jack's death, as well. It would have sucked, and I think this way the plotline is a lot more interesting. I'm glad you thought the flashbacks were well written. Emotion and brotherly love and violence are probably my three favorite things in a story, so naturally I had to add them all in the same chapter! Whee! Anyways, thanks for the review, last update soon!

**nina: **Thank you, I'm glad you like it! So much love...Angel is definitely starting to warm up, as you'll see in the next chapter, so that's wonderful, and Evelyn will definitely make her mark on Jack soon, as well. I think Bobby's going to be okay...after all, he is friends with Green, and it _was_ self defense. Thanks very much again! And I love that line! "This story is my light in the dark!" You guys are just giving me the greatest lines in your reviews! Thank you!

**Ophelia Hyde: **No more apologizing! And of course I forgive you, babe! I'm glad you thought the dialogue from the movie worked in the context, I was hoping that the transitions weren't too abrupt. I'm also glad that you liked the feel of this chapter...I was kind of afraid to write an action scene, because I was worried that it wouldn't come across as exciting or feel natural enough, so I'm glad at least one person thought it did! Nice Angel is love. I really like him...I really like them all. I really like this movie (it's been a long day). Jack's freak out was something I'd wanted to write from the beginning, because he'd been so down on himself throughout the whole story, so naturally he'd blame himself. Poor Jackie, it's not his fault :( Like I said, long day. I'm also glad you thought Bobby was accurate. I don't know how many times I've mentioned that he's so much fun to write, but he is! Tough yet emotional (sigh). I think Jack's safe for the rest of the story, as is the rest of the family. The last two chapters are saved for resolving brotherly issues. Yay. Jeez, okay, I'm done rambling. Thanks again for your review! And yes, Badass!Jack is amazing. Almost right up there with Rockstar!Jack. Almost.


	14. In Which Things Figure Themselves Out

AN: Well, here it is. The last chapter of the longest story I've ever written _and_ finished. I'm really proud of myself. I'm proud of myself because I actually stuck this thing out and finished it, all of it, all the way to the end, without slacking off on a single chapter. I poured my heart into every chapter, and I hope it showed. Enough tooting my own horn, though. I really have you guys, the readers, to thank for everything! You guys gave me the motivation to spend as much time as I could writing every chapter, trying to get it to perfection! Thank you to those who took the time to review, especially those who reviewed for almost every chapter, I couldn't have done it without you! Man, I feel like I'm giving an acceptance speech here..._and now I'd like to thank the Academy_...and speaking of the Academy, who saw that Mark Wahlberg was nominated for an Oscar for "The Departed"? I'm very excited! Dignam is love. Anyways, enough of my rambling...here you go, the final chapter! Thanks again!

* * *

Back at the Mercer household, Angel was waiting for Bobby and Jack in the living room, lounging on the recliner with the remote control in his hand. His eyelids drooped, his body tired and heavy from the lack of sleep he'd received the night before. He wasn't sure why he wouldn't fall asleep; he figured it had to do with a mix of the day's events, his ongoing feud with Bobby (which almost seemed trivial to him, now), some lingering post-Iraq anxiety, and, although he didn't like to admit it, his concern for Jack. 

_That little white boy's growin' on me, _he thought with a scowl, thinking back to the day before. Ever since he felt that weird shock pass between them when he'd grabbed Jack's arm, Angel didn't know quite what to think about him. He knew that something about him was different, but not necessarily in a bad way. The anger that had been directed towards Jack earlier was completely gone, replaced with a sort of odd curiosity. _The kid seems so goddamn familiar. Where have I seen him before?_

"Angel! We're home!" Bobby called from the hallway as the door opened, Angel feeling a slight breeze against his arm from the cold winter air. Jack moved into his line of vision, rubbing his hands together, the tips of his fingers red where his gloves didn't cover.

"You know, if you had fingers on your gloves, they'd be a lot warmer," Angel commented with a smirk, watching Jack glare back at him, blowing warm air into his hands. "Just a suggestion," he shrugged. "How'd it go?"

"I got my guitar back," Jack said happily, flopping down on the couch and placing the guitar next to him with gentle reverence, running his hand along the outside of the case. Angel snorted loudly as Bobby entered the room, shaking his head and smiling. "What?" Jack asked with a slightly offended tone.

"You treat that thing like it's your fuckin' kid or somethin'," Angel observed, and Jack quickly brought his hand away from the guitar case, clasping it in his lap.

"Yeah, or his boyfriend," Bobby added as he sat down next to Jack, and as he and Angel shared a laugh between them, Jack stared down at his hands, heart sinking. There it was again...that dynamic Bobby and Angel had that he so desperately wanted. _Brothers_. The word haunted him now, filling him with a sense of loneliness that he'd never felt before, even when he was with John. _Now I know what it's like,_ he thought emptily. _But it's not real. It doesn't matter what I think or say about the feelings. All that matters is that in this world, me and Bobby aren't brothers, and no amount of weird feelings or late night talks are going to change that._

"Hey, Cracker Jack," Bobby said, nudging Jack's arm to get his attention. Jack realized that he'd zoned out completely, with Angel and Bobby talking the whole time he'd been thinking. "You wanna go hang out with Jerry today?"

"Sure," Jack said with a shrug, not really caring. "Whatever."

"Whatever?" Bobby repeated, looking over at Angel with a smile, who chuckled again. "Didn't we have a little discussion about making decisions?"

"Yeah," Jack mumbled.

"So, do you wanna hang out with Jerry?"

"I _said_ sure," Jack insisted, a hint of irritation in his voice. He stood up, wrapping his jacket tighter around him as he waited for Bobby and Angel to follow suit. When both brothers remained seated, he looked down at them, eyes questioning. "Well? Let's go."

"Actually, it's just gonna be you and Jerry today, kiddo, if that's alright," Bobby said, clapping Jack on the shoulder as he sat back down. "Me and Angel gotta go take care of some shit."

"Oh," Jack murmured, surprised and a little upset. _I thought they'd be coming along...or I thought at least Bobby would be coming along. _"Okay."

"Is that alright?" Bobby asked seriously, looking over at Jack, who nodded in response. "You sure? I just didn't wanna leave you here by yourself all day."

"It's fine," Jack said, forcing a smile onto his face. "Really. Jerry seemed like a nice guy."

"He is," Bobby agreed, standing up and glancing down at his watch. "You guys'll get along great. He should be here in a couple minutes to pick you up." He looked over at Angel, motioning towards the door with a jerk of his head. "Ready to go?"

"Right behind ya," Angel replied, pushing himself up out of the recliner as Bobby headed for the hallway again. He got his coat out of the cabinet, pulling it on and slipping a pair of shoes onto his feet, following Bobby to the front door.

"See ya, Cracker Jack," Bobby called as they exited the house, and as Jack was about to mumble a goodbye, the sound of the door slamming shut filled his ears and stopped him short.

Jack stared out into the hallway, hands clenched in his lap as his chest tightened. _You think I would've learned by now, _Jack thought bitterly, _not to set myself up for disappointment. _He leaned back to glance out the window, watching Bobby's car pull away from the house. _Guess not._

"Bobby? Is that you?" a voice called from the kitchen, and Evelyn appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She looked out towards the hallway, her eyes focusing on Jack after a moment as a smile crossed her face. "Oh, hello, sweetheart. Did you see where Bobby went?"

"He went out with Angel somewhere," Jack said, not being able to hide the disappointment in his voice. Evelyn nodded, coming into the living room to sit next to Jack on the couch.

"That's good, then," she concluded with a nod of her head. "Those boys need to do some talking." Evelyn paused then, looking over at Jack with concerned eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," Jack said, trying to sound upbeat and failing miserably. "Just tired."

"Well I would imagine so. Bobby told me you had quite a day yesterday." She searched his eyes gently, patting him on the knee. "Is something wrong, dear?"

Jack shook his head, smiling weakly up at her. "Not really. I'm fine."

"Now, Jack," Evelyn began, giving him a stern but caring look, "don't insult my intelligence. I've been a mother for quite a while, and I'm pretty sure I know how to read a child by now. So, tell me, what's wrong?"

_I'm not a child,_ Jack thought stubbornly, but knew better than to state that fact aloud. _What am I supposed to say? I'm upset because Bobby's not my brother and I thought we had some kind of connection because of a parallel universe and a static shock? _"I'm just...still a little shook up. About yesterday."

"I see," Evelyn said, forehead creasing with worry. "Bobby didn't tell me too much about what happened. Now, I'm not gonna go around prying into your business. I just want to make sure you're alright."

Jack took a deep, steadying breath. "I think I'm okay. It's just...a lot to handle."

Evelyn nodded sympathetically. "Too much for a boy of sixteen to handle on his own, I think." She watched him silently for a moment, placing a hand on his arm, soft and warm. Jack swallowed heavily, moist eyes straying towards the wall. "Bobby told me about your foster father."

"He...he did?" Jack asked nervously, glancing back at Evelyn in shock, licking his suddenly dry lips. "What did he say?"

"Bobby said that he hit you," Evelyn revealed, voice filled with a bit of lingering, apprehensive suspicion. "But I don't think that's all, is it?"

Jack shook his head, eyes brimming with tears as his face reddened. "No," he whispered. "That's not all."

"Oh, sweetheart," Evelyn cooed, surprising Jack by wrapping her arms around him, squeezing him tightly into her embrace. Jack stiffened at first, startled by the sudden emotional gesture, but as Evelyn slowly rubbed a hand down his back, he relaxed a little. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he mumbled, resisting the urge to bury his face into her neck. _I've never had a mother,_ he thought painfully, wrapping his arms around Evelyn in return as a couple of tears slipped from his eyes. _I've never...gotten a hug like this._

"No, honey, it's not okay," Evelyn disagreed, pulling herself out of the embrace. _Oh, Lord, how this child needs someone to take care of him,_ she thought, watching him sniffle and wipe at his eyes. She took his hand gently, rubbing her thumb across his palm in a soothing motion. "No one, and I mean _no _one, has any excuse to hit a child, or...God forbid...do what that man did to you."

"I know," Jack murmured, watching Evelyn stroke his hand as a lump formed in his throat. He rubbed his eyes with the other hand tiredly, and Evelyn shook her head, placing a finger under his chin and lifting his head so that their eyes met.

"I don't think you do, Jack," she said sadly, and Jack's composure began to crumble in distress, more tears leaking from his eyes as a sob caught in his throat. She ran her thumb along the side of his chin, watching him struggle with his emotions. "Do you know that there are people who care about you?"

Jack gasped as he tried to control his frantic breathing, pulling his face out of Evelyn's grasp and turning to stare in the other direction. "I don't...I...I don't know."

"Jack, sweetheart, look at me," Evelyn said quietly, and when Jack refused to look over, grabbed his chin again, leaning his face towards hers. "Look at me. If I know nothing else, I know that there are four people in this world who care about you, and love you, and would do anything to protect you."

"Oh, yeah?" Jack laughed cynically, releasing a sob in the process. "Like who?"

"Like me."

"How?" Jack asked in a small voice. "You don't...don't even know me."

"I know you well enough," Evelyn said, smiling, releasing his face when she was positive that he would continue looking at her. "And I trust my son's judgment. He's fiercely loyal, and if you win Bobby's trust...if you gain Bobby's affection...he will do _anything_ for you."

"It's not the same," Jack insisted. "Not like...like having...your own family."

Evelyn pushed a couple of strands of hair out of his eyes, rubbing the tears off of his cheek with soft fingers. "What is a family, Jack? What makes a family to you?"

Jack shrugged, shoulders hitching with a sob. "I don't know. I just know I don't...don't have one."

"How about I tell you what _I_ think a family is, and you tell me if you agree, alright?" Jack nodded, swallowing, and Evelyn continued. "Well, I know that Angel and Jerry risked their lives for you yesterday. I know that I was worried sick about you last night, and that I couldn't rest until I knew you were safe. And I know that while you were asleep, Bobby was the most upset I've seen him in a very long time."

"What?"

"When Bobby's upset, he hides it in his anger. He lets off his frustration and concern by yelling and cursing and punching things." She smiled, chuckling a little. "My pillow was in extreme danger last night. He threw it against the wall, of all things. That Bobby...he was so mad last night. So worried. Everyone was."

"They...they were?" Jack breathed.

"Of course they were," Evelyn soothed, resting her palm on his cheek. "Angel couldn't sleep. Jerry...he just couldn't believe that someone would do something like that to you. Bobby was upset, of course, as was I. Now, if that doesn't sound like a family, I don't know what does. Do you agree?"

Jack nodded, more tears falling. Evelyn smiled, running her thumb gently under Jack's eye, wiping some of the moisture away.

"That's it, then. No more tears," she instructed softly, and he reached up quickly to wipe at his eyes. "Nothing to be sad about."

"Hello, Mercers?"

"Come on in, Jeremiah," Evelyn called out, and Jack rubbed his eyes with renewed vigor, not wanting Jerry to see the leftover traces of his tears. Jerry made his way into the living room, smiling at Jack and Evelyn pleasantly.

"Morning, Miss Evelyn, Jack," he said with all the manners and charm of a gentleman. "How ya'll doin' today?"

"Oh, we're just fine," Evelyn said, standing and walking over to envelop Jerry in a tight hug. "I was wondering when I was going to see you around here again."

"Sorry, I can't stay long," Jerry said, hugging her back. "I'm just here to pick up Jack. He's gonna spend some time with me and the girls today."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Evelyn remarked, turning back to face Jack on the couch. "Are you ready to go, sweetheart?"

"Yeah," Jack said, standing and smoothing the wrinkles out of his shirt. He wiped at his eyes once more, then went to stand next to Jerry, smiling at Evelyn. "Thanks."

"Any time, dear," Evelyn said, smiling as well. "You two have fun today."

"We will, Miss Evelyn," Jerry sad with a courteous nod, leading Jack towards the door. "Hope to see you again soon."

"Looking forward to it, Jeremiah. Goodbye, Jack."

"Bye," Jack replied as the walked outside, Jerry shutting the door behind them. He looked up at Jerry with amused eyes, smirking. "Miss Evelyn?"

"Hey, man, you gotta respect your elders," Jerry said, stuffing his hands in his pockets as they walked towards his car. "That woman's a saint for puttin' up with all of Bobby's shit. The least I can do is treat her right when I see her."

Jack nodded in agreement, opening the passenger's side door and sliding in as Jerry walked around to the other side. "Seatbelt," Jerry insisted as he climbed into the car, and Jack reached up to grab the seatbelt, pulling it across him and snapping it into place. "Don't want you to lose your head. Bobby'll have mine, then."

They drove most of the way to Jerry's house in silence, Jerry attempting to make general small talk while Jack stared idly out the window. When they had arrived and parked the car, he found himself surprised by the size of Jerry's house, considering that the Mercer's was a humble one itself.

"Camille will probably make you eat somethin' as soon as you get inside, so I hope you didn't have lunch," Jerry said as they exited the car, walking up towards the front door. "And don't worry if the girls ask you to play with them. I'll get you out of it."

"I don't mind," Jack claimed, following Jerry up to the front porch. When Jerry gave him a skeptical look, he shrugged. "I don't, really."

"Well, it's your call," Jerry said, reaching out and turning the doorknob, pushing the door open. "But I just wanna sit down and talk for a while. There's some stuff I..."

"Daddy!" a pair of voices called from inside the house, and suddenly two blurs of pink latched onto Jerry's legs, hair bouncing. Jack laughed at the sight, watching as the two girls hung on tightly.

"Hey, now, what are you two doing outside?" Jerry asked with mock sternness, grabbing his daughters up into his arms and kissing them both on the forehead. "Inside, right now!"

Jerry carried the two girls into the house, and Jack followed close behind, smiling. He watched as Jerry set the girls down, whispering something in both of their ears that made them giggle.

"Alright, time to meet Daddy's new friend," Jerry instructed, and the girls looked up at Jack with wide eyes. Jack squatted down to their level, smiling at them warmly and reaching out his hand.

"I'm Jack," he said as the taller of the two girls shook his hand shyly. "What's your name?"

"Daniela," the older one whispered, blushing as Jack grinned at her. The smaller girl, obviously more outspoken, pushed her way into his view, stretching her hand out dramatically.

"I'm Amelia," she said proudly. "I lost a tooth."

Jack couldn't hold back a chuckle, shaking Amelia's hand gently. "That's great. Which one?"

"This one." She pointed to somewhere in the back of her mouth, then grabbed Jack's hand and attempted to pull him towards the back door. "Come on, let's go play in the snow!"

"Now, now, girls, Daddy has to talk to Jack before you can play with him," Jerry said, smiling as Jack lifted himself off the ground. "Go ahead outside."

"Bye, Jack!" Amelia yelled, running towards the door. Daniela smiled, hand lifting in a small wave. Jack waved back, and she grinned widely, running after her sister.

Jerry chuckled, resting his hands on his hips and shaking his head. "Kids," he said, watching the girls run out the back door. He opened his mouth to say something else, but another voice cut him off from the kitchen.

"Baby? Is that you?" A woman appeared in the hallway, coming up next to Jerry and wrapping her arms around his neck, the two of them sharing a slow kiss. "Missed you today."

"Missed you, too," Jerry said, pulling out of the embrace and motioning to the other side of the hallway. "Camille, this is Jack. Jack, this is my wife, Camille."

"Nice to meet you, Jack," Camille said as they shook hands. "I was just making lunch, if you haven't eaten anything yet."

"What'd I tell ya?" Jerry asked, grinning at Jack, and Jack couldn't help but laugh. Camille stared at them with obvious confusion as they made their way into the kitchen.

* * *

"What do you want to eat?" Bobby asked as he drove down the street, watching a number of fast food places drift by out the window. "We got McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's...ugh, I hate Wendy's..." 

"Pizza?" Angel suggested, and Bobby nodded, turning into the parking lot of the local pizza parlor and pulling into a spot next to the door.

"Pepperoni?" Bobby asked as they got out of the car, and Angel shrugged, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. "Come on, Angel, I don't gotta give you a decision talk like I gave little Jackie, do I?"

"You better not, or I'll kick your ass," Angel said as Bobby opened the door and they walked inside. "I'm a Marine now, in case you forgot. I don't think you wanna mess with me."

"Oh, is that a threat I hear?" Bobby asked, smirking as they walked up to the counter. "Remember, I'm still your big brother."

"That don't mean nothin'," Angel murmured as Bobby looked over the menu. They ordered the pizza and sat down at a table in the far corner.

"So," Bobby began, leaning back and folding his arms across his chest. "We gonna talk about some of this shit, now?"

"I guess so," Angel said, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table. "I mean...are we still fightin'?"

Bobby shrugged. "Hell if I know."

"We ain't really good at this talking thing," Angel observed with a chuckle, and Bobby laughed as well, shaking his head.

"Maybe you should just tell me what you _were_ angry about," Bobby reasoned, raising an eyebrow. "You're not angry anymore, right?"

Angel shook his head, looking down at his hands. "Not anymore. The past couple of days...they kinda put things into perspective, you know what I mean?"

"I do," Bobby agreed.

"I guess...the reason I was angry was because of...because...I don't know. I just got home, and there you were with this new kid, and I thought, maybe..."

"You got replaced?"

Angel nodded, keeping his eyes locked on the table. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Angel, you know you're never gonna get replaced," Bobby insisted. "I love you, man. You're my brother, and it's not like that's ever gonna change."

"I know," Angel said, looking back up at Bobby. "It's just been...rough."

"What has?"

"All of it." Angel shrugged. "I mean...with you leavin' for Chicago before, and Mom gettin' so worked up about me joining the Marines. And in Iraq, you really...really learn to appreciate the things you got. When I was over there, I promised myself that when I got back, we'd get...closer, I guess. Before it was too late."

Bobby's brow furrowed, concerned. "You don't think we're close?"

"Sure, we're close," Angel refuted. "But...by the time I came to live with you and Mom, you were gone a lot. Playin' hockey and...goin' out, looking for work...and then moving. We just never got a lot of time together."

"We didn't," Bobby realized, feeling slightly guilty. "You know I never meant to ignore you, right? It was just all the shit around here that pissed me off."

"Oh, I know," Angel reassured him, smirking. "I was a little asshole for a good part of the time, too. I was just lookin' forward to that changing when I got home."

"It can still change," Bobby said, leaning forward against the table as well. "We had a fight, we got over it...who's to say it can't get better from now on?"

"Yeah," Angel agreed, smiling. "Yeah, we can get better."

"Good." Bobby leaned back again, looking around the corner to see if their pizza was coming, then facing Angel again. "You still have a problem with Jack?"

"Nah, man, he's cool. I never really had a problem with him in the first place. I just thought he was my replacement, and that I was gonna have to kick his ass."

Bobby snorted, amused. "You weren't gonna have to kick anyone's ass, Angel. Jack's not a replacement. He's...fuck, I don't even know what he is."

"Does that kid seem really familiar to you?" Angel asked curiously. "I mean...just yesterday, I coulda swore I met him somewhere before."

"Tell me about it," Bobby murmured, and at Angel's confused look, leaned forward again, lowering his voice. "Didn't you wonder why I was so goddamn interested in him? He's...he's got this idea in him that we were supposed to be brothers...and I'm not so sure that I disagree anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Before you came to live with us, when I was fifteen, Ma wanted to adopt a kid, and then we didn't because I was fuckin' around too much," Bobby said, voice remaining soft, as if what he was saying was dangerous information. "And Jack...Jack was supposed to get adopted when he was six, and then he didn't."

"He's sixteen, you're..." Angel paused, a surprised looking coming over his face. "Damn."

"And _then,_" Bobby continued, "he said when he was with John, a woman wanted an older kid because her two kids were gone. One moved away, the other joined the military." He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "You do the math."

"Fuck," Angel cursed softly, hardly believe what Bobby was saying. "Talk about a coincidence."

"Yeah, no shit," Bobby said, shaking his head. "But he's got this fuckin'..._insane_ thought stuck in his head that we're actually brothers in some other world...universe...thing. I don't even know how to explain it. He told me you got a shock yesterday, right before he passed out?"

"Yeah. What's that got to do with anything?"

"Same fuckin' thing happened to me when I met him," Bobby claimed, and Angel leaned back, stunned. "We shook hands, and _bam!_ Kid's on the ground like someone knocked him over. Told me last night he had some kid of...mental image of him dyin' when that happened. Both times, actually. He thinks we met so that he wouldn't get killed by Sweet."

"Wow, man," Angel breathed, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's some pretty heavy shit. What do you think?"

"I don't know what to think about it anymore, Angel," Bobby admitted. "I mean...maybe we were supposed to be brothers, and that's great...but we're not. And then where the fuck are we? He's back out on the streets, or back in another fuckin' foster home and miserable, and I'm...stuck."

"Maybe not," Angel said, raising his eyebrows. "Not if we do somethin' about it."

"Like what?" Bobby asked, thinking deeply. Suddenly, he pushed his chair back further, glancing at Angel out of the corner of his eye. "You don't mean..."

"Why not? Ma's pretty attached to him already, and you obviously ain't gonna let this go."

"And you'd be okay with it?"

"Sure," Angel said, nodding. "I told you, I don't have a problem with him. And if the static shock thing meant you were supposed to be brothers...well, I got it, too."

Bobby grinned, laughing a little as Angel started to smile as well. "Yeah, why not?" Bobby asked. "I mean, if Ma's okay with it, and Jack's okay with it..."

"If _Jack's_ okay with it?" Angel asked, voice full of humor. "He's livin' on the streets, Bobby. I think he's gonna be okay with it. As for Mom, we'll just talk to her when we get home."

"Yeah. Okay," Bobby agreed, chuckling softly as the waiter brought their pizza over and set it down on the table. He studied it for a moment, nodding to himself. "I think it'll work. Nice plan, asshole."

"Thanks, dumbass," Angel smirked, grabbing a piece of pizza and stuffing almost half of it into his mouth. Bobby laughed, shaking his head, to which Angel grinned through a mouthful of cheese and pepperoni. "Let's eat."

* * *

Jack beamed as he walked into Jerry's kitchen through the back door, hair damp, hands soaking, nose and cheeks tinted red from the freezing temperature. As cold as he was, though, he was extremely happy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been part of a snowball fight. _If I've _ever_ been in a snowball fight,_ he thought. _Who knew that playing in the snow with two kids could be so much fun?_

"Look at you, man, you're soaked," Jerry said with a chuckle as Jack stood shivering and dripping on the rug. "Come on, get your shoes off, come sit down."

Jack kicked his shoes off, making sure to place them on the rug so as not to get the kitchen wet, before padding over to the table, sitting down on the towel that Camille had laid out for him. Camille came over, placing a mug of hot chocolate down in front of him and smiling warmly. "The girls love you, Jack," she commented, resting a hand on his shoulder, then pulling it back quickly. "Jesus, Jerry, get this boy a sweatshirt or something. He's soaking wet!"

"I'm fine," Jack insisted, wrapping his hands around the mug of hot chocolate. "Really. I'll be warmed up in a minute."

"If you get sick, I don't want you suing our asses," Jerry said, and Jack laughed, shaking his head.

"I promise I won't sue you," Jack swore, and Jerry, content with his answer, sat down across from him at the table.

"Camille's right, the girls had a blast today," Jerry said, and Jack shrugged, smiling as he took a drink from his hot chocolate. "From the looks of it, you had a pretty good time, too."

"Yeah," Jack breathed, inhaling the scent of the kitchen and the drink in his hands. "I never got a lot of chances to play in the snow. I usually hate it."

"Why?"

"It's no fun when you have to sleep in it," Jack reasoned, then as Jerry fell silent, looked down at the table regretfully. "Sorry. Didn't mean to kill the mood."

"Don't worry about it," Jerry reassured. "I actually wanted to talk a little bit about that. About you."

"What about me? I'm not really an interesting guy."

"Interesting enough for Bobby," Jerry reasoned.

Jack shrugged again, glancing outside where the girls were building a snowman. "It's nothing, really. I just thought me and Bobby had some kind of connection because...never mind. It doesn't matter, anyway."

"Maybe it does matter," Jerry goaded, trying to get Jack involved in the conversation. "I mean, it mattered enough for Bobby to put his ass on the line for you."

"Yeah, maybe. It's just..." Jack paused, running a hand through his wet hair. "When me and Bobby met, we knew stuff about each other already, and I thought it might have something to do with...with the fact that...we're supposed to be brothers."

"Come again?"

"Evelyn was supposed to adopt a kid when Bobby was fifteen, and it was me," Jack said, ignoring Jerry's skeptical look. "And then, someone offered again when I was still with John, and that was her. Don't ask how I know it, I just do. It makes sense." He paused, staring down at his hot chocolate. "Doesn't really matter, though, what was supposed to happen. It didn't, so it doesn't mean anything."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Jerry argued. "Bobby doesn't do shit like that for just anyone. Angel, Evelyn, of course, maybe me...and you. I've known Bobby for years, and he doesn't go out of his way for people he doesn't give a shit about. So that's sayin' something."

"Maybe," Jack mumbled, slightly bitter. "But what's it good for now? I'm just going back to a foster home now that John's gone, and Bobby'll just go on with his life like nothin' ever happened."

Jerry shook his head. "Don't underestimate Bobby. He'll get shit taken care of. You'll see." He looked over at the clock, standing up from the table. "Finish up your hot chocolate, it's about time to get you home."

"To the Mercers'," Jack corrected as he stood, leaving the mug on the kitchen table, and Jerry placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," he instructed, shaking his shoulder lightly as they walked to the front door. "Bobby ain't gonna leave you out in the cold."

"We'll see," Jack whispered, looking up at Jerry and managing a small smile. "Thanks for today...and for yesterday. I really appreciate it."

"Forget it, kiddo, it was nothin'," Jerry said, grinning at Jack. "You can come around any time. I think my kids like you more than they like me." He watched Jack smile, shaking his head, before laughing, reaching his hand out to take Jack's. "And don't worry, I'll save your life anytime."

Jack reached out to shake Jerry's hand, and as soon as he grabbed it, felt a shock pass between their fingers. He pulled back, startled, looking at Jerry in disbelief. _Jerry, too? But..._

Jerry let his hand fall to the side, looking at Jack curiously as Jack backed towards the door, staring at his hand. "Got some static from the rug, there," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head, but Jack shook his head adamantly.

"The shock," he whispered, waiting for the cold, the numbness, the pain in his shoulder that he felt with Bobby and Angel's shock. However, he found that he could see clearly, that he was rather comfortable inside the house, and that his shoulder was pain free. _Where's the vision? I'm supposed to be lying in the snow, crying out for Bobby, dying..._

"Bobby was right when he said there was somethin' different about you," Jerry stated, watching Jack as he leaned back against the door. "Seems like I know you from somewhere..."

"Yeah," Jack mumbled, still staring at his hand. _Victor's gone, John's gone. Maybe that's what was supposed to happen. Maybe...the visions are gone. They're not true. But I still got the shock, which means..._ "I think...maybe..._we_ were supposed to be brothers, too. The shock, it happened with Bobby, and it happened with Angel. And now...with you."

Jerry look at him with expressionless eyes, resting his hands on his hips and letting his head fall back. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, before lowering his head. "Man, this is you and Bobby shit, not mine. I can't..." But as he looked at Jack, and the serious expression on his face, he sighed. "Things work themselves out, Jack. Just...trust that, okay?"

"What?" Jack asked, confused.

"I mean...it don't matter if you and Bobby were supposed to be brothers, or you and Angel, or you and me even. What matters is that it turned out the way it was supposed to turn out, and that it's gonna turn out the way it's supposed to now. Got it?"

"I don't..." Jack began, but then realized that Jerry might be right. _If Bobby and me were brothers, I'd be dead right now. Maybe things will work themselves out._ He shook his head. "Let's just go back to the Mercers'."

"Sounds good," Jerry said, relieved to be out of the awkward situation as he opened the door, looking back at Jack. "You're a weird kid, you know that?"

Jack just rolled his eyes. "That's what they tell me."

* * *

"Jack, can you come down here for a second?" 

Jack's fingers froze on his guitar strings, his stomach dropping and his heart starting to pound in his chest. After he'd gotten back from Jerry's, he'd gone straight up to his...the room he'd been sleeping in...avoiding Evelyn and Bobby altogether. He'd thought about what Jerry said, about things working themselves out. However, he couldn't help but fear the worst. _I can't keep living here forever,_ Jack reasoned sadly as he plucked at his guitar. _Sooner or later they're going to have to send me back._

He crawled off of the bed, looking around the room dejectedly. _I knew I'd have to leave eventually_. _I just didn't think it'd be this soon._

"Jack!"

"I'm coming," Jack called, running a hand over his face. _This is it,_ he thought as he walked out of the room and down the stairs. _I can hear it now. "We're sorry, Jack, but we just can't afford another mouth to feed." Or, "I know you'll find a good home if you just keep trying." Or maybe even, "We just can't see you as..."_

"There you are, sweetheart," Evenly said as he came into the kitchen. He was surprised to see Jerry and Angel both sitting at the table, which was filled with food, Bobby standing behind an empty chair. "Come sit down."

Jack nodded, feeling a lump forming in his throat as he took a seat at the table. Jerry and Angel were both watching him, and he looked away uncomfortably. _Guess they brought the whole family in for moral support. Even Jerry..._

"Jack, Bobby and Angel and I have had a long talk," Evelyn began, and Jack squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the tears starting to form. Evelyn noticed this, and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Honey? What's wrong?"

"It's okay, you don't have to do this," Jack said, standing up and pulling out of Evelyn's grasp. He glanced over at Bobby, who was giving him a puzzled look, and shook his head. "I'll just go get my stuff..."

"Jack, please, come sit down," Evelyn said softly, motioning to the chair. "This isn't what you think."

"It isn't?" Jack asked, looking around the room, unmoving. "Then...what's going on?"

"We had a little talk just now, the three of us," Evelyn began again, smiling. "And we were wondering if maybe you'd like to stay with us?"

_What?_ "For...for how long?"

Evelyn shrugged. "Oh I don't know...forever?"

_This is a joke, _Jack thought instantly, his mind spinning. _A cruel, tasteless, horrible..._ But as he thought that, Angel and Jerry both broke into ear-to-ear grins, and Evelyn nodded at him patiently, smiling as well. "You...you mean it?"

"I do. What do you think?"

But Jack didn't answer. Instead, he threw himself at Evelyn, wrapping his arms around her and letting the tears fall from his eyes. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he murmured into her neck, feeling her slender arms wrap around his back. _They want me to live with them. They want me to _live _with them. Forever. Evelyn's my mom. And Bobby..._

Jack lifted himself out of the hug, wiping at his eyes, unable to control the huge smile that covered his face. He looked over at Bobby, who was leaning against the counter, arms crossed. "You have any say in this?"

"A little," Bobby shrugged, smirking at Jack. "What's it to ya, fairy?"

"You know, if you keep callin' me that, I'm not gonna stay..."

Jack was too shocked to finish his sentence, however, because Bobby reached out to grab Jack's shoulders, pulling him into a rough embrace. "You're not goin' anywhere," he mumbled, and Jack buried his face in Bobby's shoulder. _Bobby's gonna be my brother. My actual brother..._ Bobby was first to pull out of the hug, and Jack saw the most emotion he'd ever seen in Bobby's eyes as he looked up. "If you stay, I bet Ma'll even let you paint your room a different color."

"Blue?" Jack asked hopefully, and Bobby laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

"Whatever you want," he said, leading Jack over to the table. "But right now, I'm starving, and I bet you are, too."

Jack nodded in agreement, sitting down and staring at his plate, unable to stop himself from grinning wildly. _I can't believe it. A family...my family..._

"Bobby, will you say grace, please?" Evelyn asked, and Bobby nodded, standing and extending his hands out to the side. Jerry and Angel stood as well, and Jack followed suit grabbing Jerry and Evelyn's hands. As Bobby began the prayer, the rest of the family bowing their heads with closed eyes, Jack looked around, a weird feeling suddenly forming in the pit of his stomach. _I've done this before,_ he thought, trying to picture the scene in his head. _But...Evelyn...Mom wasn't here. And...we weren't happy._ He shook his head, remembering Bobby's words from the night before.

_"Then it's better this way."_

He thought back to Jerry's words, delivered just a couple of hours ago.

_"Things work themselves out, Jack. Just trust that."_

"Amen," Bobby finished the prayer, looking up at Jack and smiling. Jack smiled back as Evelyn squeezed his hand, a light shock passing between their fingertips. They all sat down, digging into their food.

"Amen," Jack whispered, savoring the moment. _Yeah,_ he thought with certainty. _It's better this way.

* * *

_

**pwrhungryjr: **Thank you very much! And no, I definitely don't get tired of hearing that! Who would? Thanks again for reviewing!

**rekirika: **Yes, finally Jack gets some feel good moments...and its about time, yeah? I definitely didn't want to make the visions a coincidence, because then what's the point of having them in the first place? Gotta go for the developed plot. I'm glad it surprised you, I was hoping that it wasn't going to turn out to be too obvious! I'm glad you liked this chapter! No, definitely no romance, I'm not very good at writing it and I won't write it for this fandom (for reasons I explained earlier). I included the girl for two reasons: firstly, to draw more of a rift between Jack and Chad (he'd use the girl while Jack realizes what she's been through), and secondly, for a dramatic moment that showed Jack that he wasn't the only one who's gone through some tough times. Aside from my one shots, I do actually have a couple more ideas for chapter stories in mind. However, I probably wouldn't even start working on them until Spring Break, and then I probably wouldn't get them posted until at least summer vacation. You never know, though. I do plan on writing some one shots based in this universe, after I post a couple of my "between the dialogue" ones. Thanks for your interest, and thanks again for reviewing!

**Skydance1110: **Happiness is very good! Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it!

**Candy: **Thank you very much for taking the time to read all of this! That must have taken you a while, and I'm very glad I could provide you with an update so soon. Also, thanks for reading my Rent story, too. I plan on getting back into that fandom eventually, but for now I'm content here. Verbalized your happiness...oh dear, lol. Thank you very much, I'm glad you approve of my characterization. As you've probably seen from other reviews, I work the hardest on my characterization, and I'm glad to see that it pay off in the end. I'm also glad you liked the idea...I was a little afraid it might be too science-fictionish for the readers here (it even seemed too science-fictionish for me, at first), but I tried to keep the characters true to form to eliminate all the crazyness. Did that make any sense? I hope so. Anyways, thanks for reviewing!

**Miroku loves Mel 4 ever: **Yes, indeed, Victor got what was coming to him. I'm glad you like this story so much, that really flatters me! I agree that brotherhood is definitely the main message behind the movie, and that there should definitely be more ficiton focused around the brotherly aspect. However, I don't really mind the sister fics or the girlfriend fics, they definitely have an audience of their own. I just can't write them, lol. Thank you very much for all your compliments! I'm glad you thought that the little adoption twist was creative, I really liked the idea and had to include that in the story somehow. Yes, all things must come to an end, good or bad. Thanks again for reviewing!

**Dicefreak: **Yes, sadly, this was the last chapter :( That really does seem to be the downfall of most villians, doesn't it? They get lost in their own egos and can't find their way out until its too late...and I thought Victor was the perfect example of that, especially at the end of the movie during the fist fight (love that part...love fighting!Mark). Thank you very much, I'm glad you thought I portrayed that accurately! Bobby is definitely going to help Jack get his life back together, what a sweet older brother behind that tough exterior. Thank you, I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you enjoyed the last!

**WindStar: **Thank _you_ for the review, and I'm glad you liked it!

**Sparks Diamond: **Thank you very much! I love brotherly moments, so cute. I'm really glad you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks again for the review!

**BrittneyRose:** Hehe, oh Bobby, must you solve everything with your fists? Of course he must, that's why we love him! Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked this chapter! No more action, though...I thought the last chapter needed to be a bit of a cool down, time to tie up the loose ends and get everyone settled and happy. Thanks again for your review!

**Minka: **Sorry! I just have bad timing, don't I? I hope this last chapter didn't come at an inoppertune time for you. Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked the chapter. Yeah, I played around with the idea of Chad getting his ass beat at the end, but I thought this way would be more dramatic. This way, Jack's kind of moving on, getting a different mindset and avoiding the mistakes of his previous life by ditching Chad all together, not even letting what Chad says affect him anymore. My inner Bobby wanted him to get beat up though. So did my story Bobby, come to think of it. Oh well. Glad to see that calm, collected Jack works, too. Nope, no more evil stuff...a little drama, but no evil. I think everyone needed a cool down. So, thank you again for reviewing!

**NoLongerMalicious: **Thank you very much! I'm glad, as a sci-fi fan, you approve of the whole parallel universe thing, so thank you for that. Aww, don't cry...but I'm glad the emotion came through enough that it made you _want_ to cry. I'm also glad you liked the part about the girl, I was hoping you guys would understand why I added her! I'm also sad its ending, this story has been a great ride for me. Thank you very much for your compliments and your review!

**xXJackxXmy3rdXclassXrockXStarX:** Thank you very much, you guys seriously flatter me so much! Bobby's such a good guy, I think, behind his troublemaking tough exterior. I think that, for Bobby, a sentence like that holds a lot of emotion, because he cares so much for Jack that he just doesn't undestand why Jack would think less of himself. Man, I love these boys, lol. Anyway, thank you for your review, hope you liked the last chapter!

**Padfoot4ever: **Thank you very much! I'm glad the last chapter made you happy! It was about time I wrote a feel good chapter. Yay, indeed, for Jack. Brotherly moments are love, aren't they? I love them, too. Thank you again for your review, hope you liked the last chapter!


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